


Water

by Irxion



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Airbending & Airbenders, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Co-workers, Earthbending & Earthbenders, F/F, Firebending & Firebenders, Friends to Lovers, Heavy Angst, Metalbending & Metalbenders, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to Drugs, Waterbending & Waterbenders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:54:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26015335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Irxion/pseuds/Irxion
Summary: It was easy to say she didn't feel it. Of course, it was. It had always been easy to lie. But knowing that there was no out to this situation made it all the worse.Long time detective, Muno, is transferred from Ba Sing Se to help with the fight against Equalists. Something else is at play. Something in her former department. She's teamed up with a few unlikely faces and against even more. But as always there is one person to rely on.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 29
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter One: Baba

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not even gonna lie, me writing this fic was literally brought on by something Olaf said in Frozen 2. If you have decided to read this then you get a virtual hug.
> 
> As of 3/1/21, I have begun a mass rewrite because I don't like the direction this story has gone.

Mornings in Ba Sing Se were more often than not; peaceful. One of the few times one could experience the city in peace. The great Earth Kingdom was a sanctuary to all. Perhaps that's what had drawn Muno to the walled city.

Muno was well known in her own regard. In no time she'd been promoted to detective. A prodigy as the people called her. She was just doing her job. Whether she did it well or not wasn't quite up to her.

Contrary to popular belief, Muno was not a chipper morning person. In fact, she was quite the opposite. Though she woke before the sun every day without fail, she loathed it. She missed the days of bliss when sleeping through the sunrise was an option. 

Mornings were in poor taste. Today was no exception. Upon arrival at the precinct, Muno was met with a stack of papers on her desk. Transfer papers to be specific.

The doors opened, causing all members in the conference room to tear their attention away from the speaker, "You're joking."It was Muno. Arms crossed, she stood in the doorway, "You have to be joking. I'm getting transferred to Republic City."

At the head of the extended table sat the district chief; Shona. Though she was not impressed with the detective's entrance, she gave no outward response, "We have extended our open arms to help in the fight against the Equalists."

"Why does that concern me? You have at least ten other people who would be much better," she said. Perhaps it was selfish. To involve herself in the mess that was Republic City's bender and non-bender feud seemed almost stranger to herself. In her time at the precinct, Muno remained civil under the grounds that she would never work on cases between benders and non-benders. Thus, the chief obliged. It was a wary subject.

Truth be told she wouldn't mind a change of scenery. Some days, the walls of Ba Sing Se felt more like a prison. The cities she'd prefer to work in were far and few. Omashu, Capital City, even Agna Qel'a had come to mind. Never before had Republic City made the list.

Shona stood up from her seat. That had done it. Though she didn't show it; Muno-as per usual-pissed off the chief, "Councilman Tenzin has requested your presence. If you truly feel the need to decline, I will send word. Otherwise, you will be transferred."

It was easy to forget that Muno walked a tightrope between losing her job on a daily basis. Given that she often went against Shona's orders on the field. It was a mystery she'd even made it so far in the precinct.

She didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Not if Tenzin had requested her by name. She decided to push the answer off as long as she could. It would be her best bet for the time being. Her little outburst didn't need to end in total defeat. She said, "You want me to travel to the capital of prejudice? Nonbenders and benders are at odds with each other."

"Do you have a problem with that?" Shona said. It was more of a challenge than anything. She wanted Muno to take the bait.

"No."

"Then are you going to accept the transfer or not?"

"Yes, chief."

Shona took her seat once more before sharing a few hushed words with the surrounding members in the conference room, "In two days time you will take the train to Republic City. Upon arrival, you will meet with Chief Beifong. Your luggage and belongings will be taken to your new housing location. Do we have an understanding?"

Muno nodded in understanding, "Take the rest of the day off. Get your business in order."

There were two things she knew for certain. One; she'd succeeded in her ability to piss off Shona. Two; she would not miss Ba Sing Se.

  
  
*

It had become increasingly clear that two days was not enough time to put everything in order. She had to pack for Republic City whilst simultaneously packing away anything she could not bring. The latter being a majority of her apartment. The same apartment she'd dug herself into for nearly a decade. 

Crates and boxes encased her memories-what was left of them she supposed.

Of course, it would still belong to her but no longer did she feel the house itself was her home. It was merely a vessel in her journey. 

Muno sat on what remained of her furniture; a couch in the corner of the living space. She needed time to think. The Equalist threat. It was dangerous water and she was going to dive headfirst into the bulk of it.

Not that she hadn't done it before but conflicts between benders and non-benders had never been her forte. It was unnecessary. They were all human. Why create a hierarchy solely based on that?

To create a power difference? So what if you were born with the ability to bend? It was only a nuisance in her eyes.

 _Tap_.

 _Tap_.

 _Tap_. 

She was pulled from her thoughts by the familiar sound from her window. A cat sat expectantly on the windowsill. He was a funny thing. Muno had unconsciously adopted the cat over her stay in the apartment complex. She'd taken to calling him Kuro based on his appearance. 

She never did learn if he belonged to anyone. Only that he preferred to sleep on the third shelf of her bookshelf most nights. Would it be wrong for her to bring him to Republic City? Surely not if someone would leave him out in the pouring rain.

When he first began his nightly visits, he was skinny. More so than Muno would've liked. All she really had in her fridge were leftovers from the previous nights. He dined on three-day-old fish that evening. Muno made a point to buy him food the next morning.

 _Tap_.

 _Tap_.

 _Tap_.

She opened the window, allowing the cat to saunter in, "You truly have no patience, you know that?"

The only given response was a long drawn out meow. Muno gestured to the food dish across the room in the kitchen, "Have your pick while you can."

Without missing a beat, Kuro busied himself with his bowl of-what Muno liked to call-far too expensive food for a cat. He was what made her house a home. She was sure of that.

  
*

By daybreak, it was only Muno, Kuro, and their belongings at the train station. The whole concept of her-for the time being-moving to Republic City hadn't yet set in. It was work. Just an extremely long shift. 

For once the station appeared to be near desolate. Give it an hour or two and the station would be as busy as the city center. Muno could enjoy the silent atmosphere until the train came. 

"You know, I didn't expect anyone else to be in the station this early." Muno whipped her head around to find the source of the voice. Across the tracks sat an elderly woman with her purse in her lap.

"I used to come here every day as a little girl. My father worked the track system, and it was my job to bring him his lunch," The woman said. She gave a toothy grin thinking about the subject, "Of course, this was when it was only the monorail."

"He worked in that booth up there." She gestured to a long empty overview booth near the ceiling. It looked as if it had only been used as a waiting room in recent years. No windows and no signs.

She pulled a delicately wrapped candy from her handbag, "He began his day about this time around every morning except Sundays. He worked the night shifts on Sundays."

"He really did enjoy the job. He got to meet people from all nations. Even told me about his meeting with Avatar Aang."She popped the candy in her mouth, "Mother told him it was probably someone masquerading around as him, but he stayed true."

Muno glanced up at the clock. She still had a decent amount of time until the train arrived, "Do I know you?"

The old woman pursed her lips as if she were trying to remember something, "No. Do I know you?"

For a moment, Muno didn't know quite how she was supposed to respond, "No."

"Splendid. I'm Chio but most call me Baba."

"Muno. Nice to meet you?"

Baba's grin never did seem to fail, "Lovely to meet you. What takes you to Platform Three?"

"Work," Muno said.

"Are you a diplomat? Those nice robes of yours; I've never seen shades of green so beautiful. You must be an earth bender. Traveling to Republic City to voice your thoughts on the crisis here?"Baba asked. She had another candy in her hand. 

"No. The robes are a gift," She said. Muno paused as if to take in Baba's final words, "What crisis?"

Baba stared on with an incredulous expression, "You don't know? Non-benders and benders clashing together. Just last week there was a protest on my street. They rounded up the protesters and took them away," she said, "Even came knocking on my door. I told them I didn't see a thing. Those folks, they didn't look like the trusting type."

Now she had Muno's full attention, "Why wasn't it in the paper?"

"I don't know. But my neighbor has yet to return."

"And the precinct knows about this?" Muno asked.

Baba nodded, "Went the next morning. The folks down there acted as if nothing had happened. Even called me crazy. Now I'm not one to think they'd been paid off, but it's a bit odd."

Muno didn't speak for a time. Why hadn't she been told about this? She would bring this up with Shona when she returned, "Are you sure?"

Baba's response was cut short by the train. The elderly woman gave a reassuring smile before the doors opened. This would be it. She dove headfirst into the storm of non-benders and benders that morning with the help of Baba.

  
*

Her arrival in Republic City didn't mean much. All those hours amounted to nothing when it had only been her sitting idly by. 

The station itself was covered in intricate designs. No doubt they had been made by earth benders. Rock carvings that told the story of the 100 Year War and how the city came to be. Muno didn't pay much attention to it. 

Two goals in mind. Meet with Chief Beifong and find her apartment. She figured it'd be best to start with the latter. 

Muno pulled a crumpled note from her pocket. In poorly scribbled handwriting was her address. She had absolutely no clue where it was. Leave it to her to get lost on her first day in Republic City.

Kuro sat patiently on the ground beside her. After one small excursion on the train, he'd come to decide it'd be better if he remained near Muno. Even Muno hadn't wanted to leave her seat for fear that she'd get lost. That would be an interesting feat; getting lost in a confined space.

She had a knack for that. Even after seven years in Ba Sing Se, she still found herself lost in the plaza. Perhaps it was her hidden talent.

After some time she was able to call a cab. Mostly because Kuro got bold at one point and rushed outside. Muno followed close in tow ready to show the cat a piece of her mind. When she found him, he'd made himself comfy in the back of a cab. Muno apologized profusely.

That was how she found herself in the back of a Satomobile on the way to her apartment. Thankfully, the driver hadn't minded Kuro's interruption. Told her that they were just the work he was looking for. He tried to make casual conversation but Monu excused it-she'd spent hours on that train.

The apartment complex was decent. Not anything fancy. At the same time, it wasn't terrible. Just what she needed for the time being. When the Equalists were dealt with, she could head back to Ba Sing Se.

Muno thanked the cab driver before heading inside. Though there were a few off glances, it was nothing out of the usual. A new neighbor could mean many things. For them, it meant that they had a reclusive detective and her cat. 

Kuro made a beeline toward the window. Something about that cat and windows Muno would never understand. One-bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen, and living space. She didn't mind the size. The view from the living space paid for it all. The city skyline.

  
*

Muno didn't unpack that afternoon. Instead, she decided it was only fitting to find the station. With a little persuasion, she left Kuro in the apartment. He didn't mind. In fact, the only response he gave was settling down against the warm floor in the sunlight.

It didn't take long to find the precinct. With some directions from one of her neighbors, she was on her way in no time. The walk was peaceful. Nothing like her outings in Ba Sing Se. The city was much more industrialized. Had she not hated the town then she might've enjoyed it.

It stood strong within the city. It was a wonder that anyone would commit serious crimes in a city when the benders could catch them without much trouble. For a moment, she could understand non-benders. Those who could bend the elements were powerful. Hell, she'd probably agree with the Equalists if they weren't making their point with violence. 

Muno slipped inside with ease. The station was quiet. It reminded her of the Earth Kingdom. The slow days, when she didn't have to do her job, were often the only good days. 

Much like the station, it was old. If she recalled correctly, it was one of the oldest buildings in the city. If she ever got the chance, she wouldn't mind reading up on the city's history.

"Do you need something?" Muno turned on a dime to come face to face with someone clad in metal bending armor. They obviously worked for the force.

"I suppose so. I was told to meet with Chief Beifong," Muno said. 

"Do you have an appointment?" She didn't look pleased. More so the opposite. Like Muno was interrupting something.

Muno shrugged. She hadn't come up with much of a plan for Republic City. Not even taken the time to unpack decent clothes for her arrival. The same robes she'd decidedly wore in Ba Sing Se, "Maybe? I don't think so. Chief Shona from the Earth Kingdom told me it'd be best if I met with her upon my arrival."

"You're that transferee that Councilman Tenzin requested?"

"Something like that."

She crossed her arms, "Then you'll be pleased to know that I am the chief."

Muno's gaze shifted down to the golden badge on her armor. 

**It made sense now.**


	2. Chapter 02: Lee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured it why the formatting was so jacked up so I'll just go through and fix the previous chapter. Who would've thought that my first bit of actual writing in over a year would be TLOK fanfiction. Not me. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter.

She'd done exactly what Shona wanted her to do. Now what? Chief Beifong looked at her, an expectant expression, "I guess you know what I'm supposed to do here."

If Muno had been new to the force, Chief Beifong would've scared her out of the precinct. The woman had a certain reputation. Drawn from the fact that her mother founded a new bending archetype and was head of the police force before her. 

In the years since joining, the list of things she found to be unsettling grew to be far and few. The tough act just wasn't there.

Chief Beifong gave a hum as if to agree, "That I do. But first I'd like to know why Tenzin chose you of all people."

To the Chief, Muno was certainly not anything grand as Tenzin had tried to explain. If anything, she lacked any respect toward her employers. One thing that Lin did not approve of. She intended to break that.

"That's actually what I've been asking myself for the last three or so days," Muno said.

She'd heard about Muno before. The stories from Ba Sing Se often made it to Republic City. The woman had jump-started her career with a dangerous case. A drug raid went wrong. Two children had been kidnapped. For two months there had been no new leads. Until they put a rookie cop on the case. 

"You're just a detective then?" 

"Just a detective," Muno assured.

Clearly, there was something Muno was holding back. Lin knew that. The woman wasn't as sly as she thought, "No redeeming qualities?"

"I like running," Muno said. It was uncertain whether she was joking or not.

Lin mentally facepalmed. She'd have a few words with Tenzin about his choice of detective during their next interaction, "Do you even know what a redeeming quality is?" Her voice held a dangerous amount of venom to her words.

Muno didn't even flinch, "Look, I don't want to be here. I was transferred here. Once the trouble is dealt with, I will return to Ba Sing Se."

Not the reaction Lin had expected. If anything it was the opposite. Muno wasn't a pushover like the rest of the officers. A quality she would've liked to see more of during her time at the precinct. 

"Have a look around but make sure you find yourself in my office at noon."

That was that. The Chief appeared to be done with their conversation for the time being. It was a relief on both of their parts. Muno on the basis that she was still pissed about her transfer. Lin because she had paperwork from a case the week previous that needed to be finished. 

Even from the short amount of time, she'd spent in the station, Muni was certain of a few things. A majority of the officers-if not all-were benders. Of those benders, most of them were Earth benders. Those who had made it into the force otherwise were top benders in their element.

It was amazing how little the precinct hid.

*

From her office, Lin could supervise the whereabouts of all officers if she wanted to. She never did. It was an intrusion of privacy. But when Muno haphazardly made her way toward the file room, Lin's interest peaked. Call it intuition but Muno wasn't going there to do some light reading.

Nevertheless, she decided against it. It would only be decent of her to respect the woman's privacy. That didn't stop her from opening the file she had pulled the week previous. 

Even when Lin suggested officers from other cities like Omashu, Tenzin stood his ground. Something about trust in this detective. She wasn't buying it. He'd held something back during their conversation.

The file itself wasn't detailed. If anything it was barren; like someone had stopped filling it out halfway through. In her eyes, it was suspicious. Whatever praise Tenzin saw in Muno, Lin didn't see it. She did, however, see an earnest detective. That was something she could respect. 

There was a knock at her door. She slid the file into her desk drawer before greeting the person. One of the metal benders. She'd only been part of the active force for little over a month. 

"Chief Beifong?" They remained in the doorway. 

"Yes, officer?"

"We've gotten reports of Equalist activity downtown."

*

Seven years previous.

_"Miss Muno, I don't believe we've been formally introduced." The man; some gang goon held out his hand for her to shake, "Given that you're the one that snuffed me out."_

_From her seat across from him, Muno gave no reaction. 'Never give them the satisfaction' as she'd once been told, "Do you know why you're here today?"_

_"Well, I guess it's not on the account of my angelic behavior. Or maybe it is." He leaned back in his chair. His lips twitched in approval, "I think you know why I'm here."_

_She did. Drug trafficking and two counts of kidnapping. That's what she had written in her notes. There was more to the story. That's what she was determined to find out. There was something more to the story that wasn't coming to light._

_When she didn't respond immediately, he gave a knowing grin, "You're new, aren't you? They put you on this case because they figured you wouldn't dig anything up. But here you are. Sitting across from the one and only-me-and you can't come up with something to say. Why don't you call in your superior? Then I'll at least have someone to talk to."_

_Muno glanced toward the tape recorder sitting on the table. She flipped a switch on the side, "What was so important about those drugs that you took kids as collateral?"_

_"Doing this off the record? You sure you ain't one of those dirty cops?"_

_"Answer the question. I'm already bending the rules enough for you."_

_"You're my kind of gal." He leans forward and crosses his arms before continuing, "Wasn't really planned for us to take those two kids. They just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. You know how it is."_

_"The drugs, Lee. You took those kids after we found the warehouse. Need I detail you on their condition?" Muno said. Her tone wasn't that of the rookie cop. It was demanding. Anger._

_Lee put a finger to his forehead as if to recall the events in a dramatic gesture, "Their condition? Oh, I know. The fact that they can't bend? That was a pleasant surprise on my part. No need to worry, it's only a temporary stunt. They'll have full use of their bending here in a few months."_

_For a moment, Muno was at a loss for words. To take away a person's bending was a taboo in all forms of conversation. Avatar Aang had done it once. For the good of all nations. But this was wrong._

_"Just the reaction I was expecting. You don't understand. What it's like to live as a non-bender in society," Lee scoffed and said, "We are the laughing stock. You benders and your God complexes. It's only right to take you down a notch."_

_"What makes you think I'm a bender?" Muno asked._

_He took in her question, "Well, are you?"_

_Don't give them the satisfaction. Don't put up an argument. They find enjoyment, "No."_

_"So you'd stand up for a bender? How hard have you worked to get that job, Rookie? All you do is fetch coffee and do the paperwork for benders. How do you find that rewarding?"_

_She didn't answer that directly. He had a point. The Ba Sing Se police weren't exactly fair at some points. The whole "join to make the kingdom a better place" wasn't true. She just wanted to do something with her life._

_"Why drugs? They're dangerous and faulty. You may have succeeded in taking away bending for a short amount of time but how do you expect to surpass that? You're going away. For a long time too."_

_"Why do we do anything?" Lee said, "We know there will be a response and a result. I may be out of the equation but there are more of us. We will succeed. Equality at long last."_

_"You don't exactly have the space to stand on some moral high ground," Muno said, "You're the one who kidnapped two kids and tested anti-bending drugs on them."_

_Lee drummed his fingers along the metal table and said, "I could say the same to you. A cop turning off the recording system. Who's going to believe the rookie?"_

_"I only turned it on." Muno turned the system on its side to reveal that it had indeed been on throughout the interrogation, "Besides," She continued, "I like to keep my own copy." From her pocket, she pulled a smaller recorder. Next-gen equipment._

_Lee shook his head in disbelief, "Never underestimate a rookie cop. I'll remember that next time."_

_Muno stood up from her seat across from him, "There will be no next time for you."_

*

Present-day.

Upon arrival at the plaza, it was a scramble to get any information at all. According to eyewitnesses, a group of Equalists had shown up. They had been–for the most part–minding their own business. That was until a group of benders began antagonizing them.

All witnesses had the same story set in stone. There wasn't much room for difference except for a child. However, it was the overwhelming majority that they could trust.

"They're lying."

Lin whipped her head around to see Muno leaning against a lamppost, "How did you get here? You should be at the precinct."

"I walked. It was quiet and boring," She said simply. Muno pushed off the lamp post so she could stand across from the chief, "That's aside from the point. Those folks you have over there; they aren't telling the truth."

Lin glanced toward the crowd of people huddled together and back to Muno, "How can you tell?"

Muno gestured to a kid sitting on one of the benches, "You see that kid over there? She has to be five or six years old. She slipped up with the story. Told something else, right?"

She didn't wait for a response before continuing, "Now she's being chided by that woman."

While the woman a point, it wasn't reliable, "That's not much to go on," Lin said

"Nobody in that crowd is a bender?" Muno asked.

Lin scoffed, "That's not exactly something we look for as evidence. Plus that in itself is an invasive question."

"But nobody in that crowd is a bender. Isn't it a little odd? Fifteen or so witness and there's not even one bender?" 

"I'd like to have a word with the kid," Muno said, "And get someone to turn off that fountain."

"Turn off the fountain?" She gained no other response from Muno. Nevertheless–while she believed no help would come from the action–the center fountain stopped flowing.

The Chief maintained a far enough distance away as to not seem overbearing. But remained close enough to listen in on the conversation.

"Hey, kiddo," It had only now occurred to herself how bad she was at talking to children, "You saw those nasty benders, didn't you?"

The woman stepped forward, "You want to talk with my daughter? An officer already did so I'm afraid there's no need for you," she said.

Not even a minute in and Muno didn't like the woman, "Oh but there is. Detective Muno," She introduced, "I arrived after Chief Beifong and her police force. I'm only here to listen. Your daughter is first."

"You're a detective?" The girl said with awe, "Like the one on that radio show? She kicks butt and is the avatar in the story. Does that make you the avatar? She's so cool."

Muno had to hold back a smile. Innocence prevailed, "Unless I somehow manage to air bend, I think that title belongs to someone else. Could I ask you a few questions?"

"Like in the show? That sounds fun. My name's Bu. Mama says it's because that was the first sound I made."

Muno brought the child to the fountain. A few feet away Lin watched on with vague interest, "Why's the fountain turned off?"

"It's a bit too noisy for my taste," she said, "Here at the plaza to enjoy the wonderful weather?"

The weather was not wonderful. The sky was gray and it smelled of rain. It wouldn't be long until it was pouring outside. The girl giggled, "The weather is bad today. No sunshine."

"For you, it may seem bad but have for those who can bend water, it's wonderful. Are you a bender?"

Bu glanced toward the crowd of witnesses, "Mama tells me not to tell anyone but last year I moved a rock last year."

"That's amazing," Muno said, "Do you think you could show me?"

"Mama won't be happy. She tells me that it's wrong to bend. She doesn't like it when I do it," Bu glanced away from the detective, hinting at something more.

Of course, the list of things she could infer from the child's words was long but the realistic list was short. No need to dwell on it in a public space. She'd take Bu down to the station later, "Bend that pebble into the palm of my hand."

*

"Are we still doing the "meet me in my office at noon thing?" Because I have a feeling that it's a bit past noon," Muno said. It was indeed last noon. The sun was beginning to set. They'd been at the plaza for hours.

They'd gotten hold of information on all eyewitnesses for future reference and had searched the streets for any sign of bender negligence, "I wasn't expecting an interruption like this."

"Clearly."

"What do you say about a sparring match back at the precinct?" Lin asked, "Most days I like to go a few rounds with some of the officers." She could read people like open books. Muno not so much.

"Violence. How fun. I'm in. I need to take care of some business first. It shouldn't take long." Muno excused herself. Now would come the part of cases that she disliked. She made her way toward the fountain. Still turned off. 

From her pocket, Muno pulled out an empty glass vial. She filled it up with the fountain water before latching it tightly. She returned it to the confines of her pocket once more. 

**Water held importance**.


	3. Chapter 03: Korra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I see myself pumping out chapters every two days which I'm pretty surprised at. I figure that after a bit I'll have a cohesive uploading schedule but for now it's just a tad bit of me spending hours writing fanfiction.
> 
> I don't know if that's something to brag about but I can and will say that it's been fun. Once again, thank you for reading!

Below the orange-colored sky, a young girl ran through the streets of Republic City. A child at odds with those pursuing her. It was only a matter of time until she no longer had the energy to run. She tore around a street corner, nearly tripping over an uprooted branch. The city sector was desolate. She'd figured that out her first time around. For what seemed like hours, she called for help. Nothing came. But that was the game. The terrible game.

Today she vowed she would escape.

*

For the most part, the precinct had cleared out. The officers would rather return home to their families than do paperwork in the office. Muno understood it. It was long, detailed, and often times incredibly tedious. When she first started, the paperwork had been the worst part of her day. Now it seemed to be a relief.

Lin led her through what appeared to be a maze of hallways until they arrived at an arena-like-structure. The floor was made from solid rock; no doubt used for the earth benders. Objects varying in size and material had also been meticulously spread around the room. Grates on the floor allowed water benders to use their element with some success. 

All in all, it was a decent arena. 

"So what's the gimmick? You just want to spar and that's it? Or is this an excuse to show off your bending and beat me all the way to the Southern Water Tribe?" Muno said jokingly. She hadn't been one for fighting. Not that it mattered in the world they lived in. Fighting was part of everyday life. Sports even; like pro-bending.

"If you think you can best my metal bending capabilities then I'll gladly bend," She said, "If you're not so  _ sure _ then I'll go easy on you." 

Muno discarded her robes, opting for less surface area. If anything, the robes stuck out. Too fancy. She was left with a simple undershirt and pants, "Don't cry if I knock you on your back," She quipped.

Lin didn't respond but she found her opponent's words to be entertaining. She too discarded her armor; that was as fair as the fight was going to get, "I'd say the same for you. Just give it a few minutes."

The two made their way down to the arena, backhanded insults shared the entire time. She wouldn't voice it, but Lin had been looking forward to their session. Whether it was to really size up who Muno was or just a chance to spar; she'd make the most of it. 

Muno had taken position possibly as far from Lin as humanly possible, "When are we going to—" She was cut off by a large chunk of rock flying across the arena, "—start." She finished.

It started with a bang. The rock hit the wall above her and broke into pieces, "If you're going to chuck a rock at me, at least aim a bit better."

"I wasn't aiming for you," Lin crossed her arms expectantly. Behind Muno, there was a system of creases and cracks in the wall. No doubt they were there with a purpose. 

With the added force from the boulder, pieces began cascading toward the ground. Muno narrowly dodged a decently sized rock, "If you kill me, you're gonna pay for my funeral fees. Or just get me cremated."

"I didn't take you for such a pessimist," Lin said.

"And I didn't take you for a boulder throwing maniac. I guess we both learn new things every day." Muno said. She sauntered across half of the arena, prepared for an attack that never came.

She'd be fine waiting for an attack. Better to be on the defensive rather than the offensive. Below her, water crashed against the grate. Some of it overflowing to create a muddy substance at her feet, "Not gonna fight back?" Lin asked. Even at a distance, Muno was sure the chief was smiling.

"I'm at the advantage," Muno said. She advanced, "I know you're an earth bender. I know you can bend metal. What do you know about me?"

She was right. Lin was venturing into unknown territory. For all she knew, Muno was a firebending master. Part of her doubted that. The woman was far too reserved. Perhaps she wasn't even a bender at all. Not once had Tenzin mentioned her bending during their conversation.

Another attack. Study how she reacts. She'd have to play offensively and be prepared for an attack at the same time. Not something she'd enjoy while on duty. But this was new. A learning experience. 

With an upward motion, she forced the brittle ground upward as if it were a makeshift pillar. Muno was left helplessly unprepared as she sailed into the air along with it. 

Soon enough she was able to find balance instead of teetering around on the edge. Impressed but not proud to be in her current predicament, Muno searched the side of the pillar for any footholds. They were there. Just very few and far in between. She proceeded to drop down until it was only her hands supporting her. Even further and she reached the first foothold. 

For a moment, Lin felt a glimmer of worry. It quickly faded when Muno–quite quickly–made her way back to the ground, "Not too bad for a detective."

"You're one to speak."

A few paces more and Muno stood face to face with Lin. There was no immediate response. The chief braced, waiting for any attack. None came. She was surprised when Muno held out an open hand.

"Wanting to call the match already? And yet I had more faith in you," Lin said. 

Muno didn't respond, her hand still outstretched. Of course, both of them weren't stupid. It was either a poorly thought out trick or a non-deserved surrender.

It was a non-deserved surrender.

*

It was dark now. This game was longer than any other she had played. It always ended at the broken fountain. One way or another, she'd end up there. This time was different. No longer did she hear the footsteps echoing off of the pavement behind her. It was eerily silent. 

She'd never seen the city sector at night. It made her wonder if it had always been so empty. 

*

It was so loud in Republic City. It was barely even daybreak when the unrelenting city sounds began. Satomobiles. Muno hated them with a passion. They were useful; she knew that. She only hated that nobody seemed to keep in mind that some people enjoyed sleep.

In the end, it was Kuro who woke her up. He'd made himself quite comfortable on her face. Something Muno did not find comforting. She nearly pushed the cat off of the bed. Had it not been for her inability to function during the mornings, she might've done it.

"You're a terrible cat," She said.

_ Meow _ .

Kuro perched himself on a large stack of crates. One of the many things Muno never questioned about her feline friend; how he managed to pull his crazy stunts. One moment he'd be halfway across an alleyway. The next, he could be lounging on her bookshelf. It was a game of chance.

Muno rubbed her face, the sleep slowly ebbing away. After the less than exciting ending to their sparring match with the chief, she'd gone home. She'd told Lin that they'd go for a rematch another day. There was no real reason to end the match. It just happened. 

She reached for the window clasp and unlocked it, knowing Kuro had been waiting for her, "Go on. You woke me up. Go hunt some birds and do cat stuff."

He hopped down from his perch and calmly made his way to the–now–open window before disappearing outside. It was better not to question what he was up to.

With everything still packed up and unlabeled; which had been a mistake on her part. She'd have to play the guessing game. Where was her clothing packed? Nobody knows. 

The first box. A mixture of dry goods she'd gotten over time. On the account of her laziness, a majority were meals that could be easily prepared. Not what she had been looking for but it was nice to know where the food was 

The second box; a crate. Books. Just books. That's why it had been so heavy. 

A third box. Clothes. How did the saying go? Third time's a charm? She slipped on a collared shirt and bottoms. Strangely enough, it was the same wear often worn by non-benders. She'd seen clothing protests in Ba Sing Se. Something about benders wearing robes while non-benders would wear next-gen clothing. It was by far, the stupidest argument Muno had ever heard.

**The vial of water sat nearby on an unopened crate** .

*

The precinct wasn't near empty like it had been during the previous night. They sat at desks preparing papers or doing mindless work. Though oddly silent. No idle conversation.

Officers were shuffling to and fro, nearly knocking Muno down in the process. She was both a detective and a rookie at the same time. What an interesting ordeal. 

She felt just as lost as she had during her first week in the Earth Kingdom. Mostly thanks to the chief as she had received no information on the case. 

Speak of the devil. Chief Beifong exited the conference room looking not-so-pleased with whatever had happened inside, "Detective Muno, I assume you're here for information on the Equalist threat."

"Not much else for me to do until then," Muno said.

Unlike their short match last night, there were no fun remarks. Professionalism, "You already know that the Equalists are against bending in all forms." Lin began the walk towards her office, Muno in tow.

"They aren't your run of the mill anti-benders. They use violence to achieve their goal," she continued, "They're led by Amon."

"That's not new. Flameo, even I know that and I was miles away from Republic City," Muno interjected. She thought back to her introductory case, "What I know is that this has been in the making for years. Widespread as well."

"What do you mean?" Lin asked incredulously.

"What do  _ you _ mean?" Muno repeated. 

"As far as we  _ know _ , this has been something that has pertained only to Republic City."

"That's a lie."

Not much else could be said about the subject as the doors burst open. Clad in metal armor, the guard glanced around wildly until his gaze landed on Lin, "Officer, what business do you have interrupting us?"

"I– Chief Beifong, we have confirmed reports of  _ activity _ downtown," The guard said sheepishly. Even his expression was downright confused by his words.

"Confirmed activity of what? It'd best be important for you to walk in on Detective Muno and I." Without a shred of doubt, Chief Beifong was intimidating. Whether she had come to realize the effect she had on her guard was unknown but it was funny to watch from an outside perspective.

The guard looked down towards his hands, seemingly readjusting the metal plates, "It is. I think. Waterbending, firebending, even earthbending. All by one person."

Muno thought she had misheard the man's words. Historically, there was only one person to been more than one element. Sure, Avatar Aang had long since passed but news of another Avatar almost felt wrong, "Just one person?"

*

Never in her adult life would Muno assume she'd be in the same room with the Avatar, let alone second to Chief Beifong. Tension thick enough to cut with a knife; both parties were not pleased with their current situation.

Lin ran her finger down the list of charges Avatar Korra had gained in her short amount of time in the city, "Let's see. Multiple accounts of the destruction of private and city property. Not to mention evading arrest. You're in a whole mess of trouble, young lady." The clipboard was slammed down onto the metal table, causing the Avatar to flinch.

"But there were a group of thugs threatening a shopkeeper and I had to—" her attempt to defend herself was shut down by Lin's harsh words.

"—Can it. You should've called the police and stayed out of the way." Muno was sure the seat was suffocating. How often did someone mess up so badly that they'd pissed off the chief of police?

"But I couldn't just sit by and do nothing. My duty is to help people," Korra said, You see, I'm the Avatar."

Muno internally questioned if the Avatar had any social skills. Lin said, "I am well aware of your status as the Avatar. It may impress some people but not me."

"Then I want to talk to whoever's in charge," Korra said smugly. How daft was she?

The situation in itself felt unreal. They were arguing with the Avatar when it was clear who was at fault. Lin almost laughed–at the Avatar of course, "You're talking to her. I am Chief Beifong and over there is Detective Muno of the Ba Sing Se police force." Upon hearing her name, Muno proceeded to make herself comfortable leaning against the wall.

Lin took a seat at the interrogation table across from Korra. She'd barely spent five minutes in the same room as the Avatar and she didn't hold high hopes.

Korra didn't seem nearly as fazed as Muno and Lin would've liked, "Beifong as in Lin Beifong? Toph's daughter?"

"What of it?"

"Avatar Aang and your mother used to be great friends," Korra said. 

She drew the line at stupidity, "That doesn't do much to help your case. If anything I'd start thinking about the people you can call to get you out of here," Muno said, "Because right now you've given a terrible introduction of yourself to the city."

She was fed up with this new Avatar. More specifically the way they expected to be coddled. The detective scoffed, "If anything, you've given Amon and his forces reason to show themselves with all of your destruction." No doubt, they'd experience an increase in Equalist attacks. It was a given, now that they knew how wild the Avatar was.

"I'm here to help now."

"Do you know anything about Republic City's politics? This city isn't just bliss. There is a real threat and you've just announced yourself as someone who knows nothing about Republic City."

Needless to say, Lin was impressed.

Before Muno could continue her bashing of the avatar, a guard opened the door, "Chief, Councilman Tenzin is here."

"Let him in," Lin said.

Councilman Tenzin enters the interrogation room, his gaze shifting over the three. From Korra to Muno and finally onto Lin. So this was the one and only airbending master. He'd certainly built a reputation for himself. Muno was still considerably confused as to why she was his detective of choice. Hopefully, they'd get into that later.

Korra practically beamed at him, "Tenzin, sorry. I got a little sidetracked on my way to see you."

Tenzin seemed to ignore the Avatar altogether, "Lin, you are looking as radiant as usual," he said.

Lin crossed her arms. She may have been shorter than him, but held more grasp in the room than he ever would. She said, "Cut the garbage, Tenzin. What is the Avatar doing in Republic City? I thought you were moving down to the South Pole to train her."

It was clear that he wasn't pleased with her actions. Deliberately disobeying an order by the only man who could teach you airbending must've been a great feat, "My relocation has been delayed. The Avatar, however, will be returning to the south pole  _ immediately _ where she will stay put," she said.

"But–" Korra tried to interject but was once again shut down.

"–If you would be so kind as to drop the charges over today's events; I will take full responsibility for her actions and pay for the damages."

"Fine. Just get her out of my city."

"Always a pleasure, Lin. Let's go, Korra."

Muno moved to retrieve the recording but Lin stopped her with a hand clasped tightly around Muno's wrist. The metal recording was already in her grasp, "Take the rest of the day off. I'll call for you if you're needed."

The detective inched away until Lin retracted her hand, seemingly surprised at her own actions. The surprise was replaced by her resting scornful expression as she excused herself from the room.

The detective felt no reason to question Lin's words. If anything it would be a blessing to return home after the day. Avatar or not; Muno didn't like Korra. Even the interaction between Tenzin and Lin had been a bit much.

*

Sound. Real sound. City sounds. People. She heard people. This game was coming to an end. This terrible game. It sounded like a speech. 

**It meant freedom** .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit more dialogue orientated than I would've liked but as of right now I'm pretty okay with sticking to a 2.5k word count or varying around that a bit. I wanted to introduce Korra in this chapter as it would lead to the conflict with Amon which (if you can't tell already) I feel is important to Muno's story. 
> 
> I'm absolutely terrible at writing physical fights. I know that at times, reading movement after movement is kinda boring. Or to me it is. I thought it would be best to have an interaction between the two of them. Which leads me into my next mini-point. I view the two of them as being incredibly competitive. Given their history, they are not new to this field of work. The whole "sizing each other up" is what I was going for. 
> 
> And finally my not-so-well-planned-out justification for Lin not giving the whole cold shoulder ordeal to Muno. Being well-known in both of their fields they each have reputations of sorts (?). Either way, they both respect each other. In a sense. Above all, I want friendship before romance. 
> 
> A lot of this was random but I think it's helping me get a grasp on future goals for this. That's all from me for now.


	4. Chapter Four: Amon

It'd only been days since Korra's speech and crimes between non-benders and benders were as rampant as ever. Something Muno did not enjoy for a multitude of reasons. One is that it gave her less time to focus solely on Amon. 

She'd been given a desk near the back of the precinct, something she'd been happy about. Fewer people to interact with meant fewer distractions. Even with that l, she's made absolutely no progress on the case.

The Equalists that they had managed to catch never did crack. Even with the overbearing chief practically breathing down their backs. That was what confused Muno. Whatever Amon had really promised them was worth prison. Perhaps it was the worst factor in the madness that was the Equalists. They gave their livelihoods for a man they didn't know.

Which was the exact reason she'd been stationary at her desk for hours. Knee-deep in the ocean of Equalist files. Not the worst way she'd spent a Saturday evening. Yet not the best either. 

Apparently, a young girl had turned up. Not much was known about her. She'd run right through the crowd at Korra's speech before stopping. Rambled on about a game. Something sadistic. As bad as the situation was; she was their first real lead. Truly terrifying that a kidnapped girl was the header on their case against the Equalists.

Nonetheless, she'd spent her time reading through the interrogation looking through anything she could've missed. For the most part–nothing. Every so often she'd find some small detail to file away. Never anything worthwhile.

Of course, that was a given. She never should've expected this to be easy. If Republic City could deal with it alone then she'd still be in Ba Sing Se.

To say she understood where the Equalists were coming from was true. But to say she agreed with their violent tactics was a lie. It was such a prevalent topic in today's society. One that Muno didn't enjoy partaking in. If you helped benders you were a conformist. If you helped non-benders you were a sympathizer. There was no room for level ground.

It was the prime reason she didn't work those cases. 

Down the hallway, the sounds of an extremely pissed off Chief Beifong were audible. For a building made of stone, the walls didn't hide much. Aside from the interrogation room. Whatever building materials they used seemed as thick as steel. 

Whoever it was had messed up. That much was clear. Soon enough, Lin demanded them to leave her office. The door opened and shut with a loud bang. They dared not make eye contact with the detective as they passed by. 

Muno was glad to not experience their Saturday.

She almost wanted to ask what they'd done to earn the walk of shame but decided against it. The officer had already been yelled at in the lion's den. It was best not to apply salt to an open wound.

It didn't take long for the chief to leave her office. About half an hour–give or take a few minutes. One hand pinched the bridge of her nose. The other held a bundle of paperwork.

"I've never seen a metalbender so incapable of metalbending in my life," Lin said. She dropped the paperwork onto Muno's desk, allowing her to sift through the newly created file.

Apparently, the newly recruited metalbender had crashed into a window while on patrol. An art mural that had been completed during Avatar Aang's time. What a way to make a name for yourself in the force. Practicing cable work without supervision from a senior officer. 

Muno looked down as if to hide the growing smile, "Guess we just can't have nice things," she said.

"You don't even know the half of it," Lin said. She moved to lean against a nearby wall, "Isn't it a bit late for your shift?"

"I wouldn't say so. I've been trying to find something we missed. It's impossible to be white and black," She said. She closed the file sitting on the table in front of her and put it away, "Finding something or not finding anything."

"We aren't expecting this to come easily," Lin said, "The farthest thing from it. We've made decent progress."

She was right. But any progress they had made was worthless when trying to find Amon or his inner circle. It'd led them down a path of dead ends. It was disheartening. 

"It's half after midnight. Head on home. We can continue tomorrow," She said. Muno had no reason not to listen. She'd been working the later shifts for what seemed like a few weeks. Nothing late enough to deter her from her work. But a decent night's sleep seemed almost inviting. 

It was decided then. Muno would head home and inevitably have a wordless argument with Kuro about why it would be irresponsible for her to let him outside at night. Republic City was still new for both of them. She'd feel better if he was cooped up at night.

"You'll radio if there are any new developments in the case?" Muno said. She stood up from her seat, stretching as she did so. 

"Of course," Lin answered.

"Thank you, Chief Beifong."

"Just Lin is fine."

"Thank you, Lin."

*

The trip to the apartment wouldn't be long. It was walking distance. Though the walking distance was questionable. It was blocks away from the precinct and she would rather take a cab home. The political atmosphere was tense. With more Equalist threats, even safety within the streets was questionable. 

She never could see the stars in Republic City. Not in Ba Sing Se either. It would've been nice. Something to look forward to at night. Stargazing. Something she missed.

"And your invitation?" Muno flattened herself against a wall at the words. Where had they come from? She couldn't see a soul out on the street.

"New members? Head on in."

There it was again. Was it coming from the alleyway? She inched around the corner until she made blatant eye contact with a man. He stood nearly a head taller than her and had his arms crossed, "Are you here for the meeting?"

"Yes?" She said. The words were long and drawn out. Clearly uncertain, "No?" She added, "Maybe? Define this meeting."

What was she doing? Something horribly stupid.

He looked her up and down as if to size her up. It was moments like these she had been glad to wear informal armor. Not that it offered much protection. Of course, if she played her cards correctly, she'd never need to use it.

"You a bender?"

"I don't think so. If I were I would think I'd know by now," Muno answered calmly. She had nothing to hide. For all she knew, it could be a book club.

"What do you think about the Avatar?"

Much more than a book club. There were two plausible ways this could go and she didn't like the outcome of either of them, "She's childish." It was true. Not a doubt in the world when it came down to it. But nonetheless, her title held a certain amount of respectability. 

"Are you fond of Amon?"

There were a few ways that could be taken. In a sexual sense; she was not one for masks in a relationship. In an idealistic sense; equality was necessary–his tactics weren't the way to go about it. From the stance of non-bender and vice versa.

"Yes."

"I believe you'll make a fine addition. Head on in."

Something horrifically stupid hadn't failed. She had no idea what to expect once she went inside. Maybe Amon was having a spa night and she could just leave. No. That would be terribly unrealistic.

Wordlessly, she made her way inside. The walk itself was both short and far at the same time. A dimly lit hallway almost seemed as if it went on for ages. Until it ended.

In front of her was a sea of non-benders. More than she had ever seen in one place. They varied in all ages and genders but all held one thing near and dear. That was very clear by the number of hanging banners. Amon's banners. 

She was a sheep in the lion's den. No longer did that officer's day seem so bad. She'd break ten glass murals if it meant she didn't have to be present.

What a wonderful predicament to be in. Muno loathed it.

The lights dimmed, quieting the crowd. Muno figured that soon enough, Amon would make his presence known. She was sure of that. How long would it take?

She scanned the crowd for any faces she might know. It was nonsensical. She'd been in the city for a short amount of time. The people she had met had been through her job. Muno was not the brightest bulb in the bunch at times.

A platform rose from beneath the stage to reveal numerous guards. They stood at ready, prepared for any bender attack. Soon after, a final platform rose. The man himself stood still as a statue, hands crossed at his waist. 

She'd only seen him in photographs or propaganda. It was different to see him in person. The man in the flesh; the reason she'd been transferred from Ba Sing Se.

He reached for a nearby microphone. For a moment he paused, questioning whether the words he'd prepared would mean anything to the crowd of his supporters below, "My quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a boy, my family and I lived on a small farm. We weren't rich. We weren't benders," Amon said. It would always be unclear whether his words were worthy. The mask tarnished his view of the crowd below him. Perhaps it was a price to pay. 

"We became easy pickings for a firebender who extorted us. One day, my father had enough of this. He confronted the man. The firebender who took my family from me. As well as my face," He said. Few times in one's lifetime would they experience the life he lived. A crowd of supporters who would give their lives for a cause. For some; they would never experience this power.

He neared the edge of the stage, the microphone no longer in its placeholder, "I've been forced to wear this mask since that day. As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived here in our own Republic City. If she were here she'd go on about bending bringing balance to this world." Though he held no doubt about her capabilities, she was only a waterbender with a title. Held on a pedestal for her entire childhood. This would be her awakening. A promise. The world was cruel. He only wanted to make it better. 

"She is wrong. All bending has only brought suffering. It has been the cause of every war in every era since the beginning of time." It was all black and white. He'd learned that from a young age. That was something his father had taught him. It was absolute. All or nothing. Bending was the cause of their suffering.

"But that will change. You must be wondering what the Revelation is. You are about to get your answer." Every day in his life has led to this moment. From his boyhood, he'd been looking forward to this day. After this, nothing would be futile, "Since the beginning of time, the spirits have been our guardians. They have spoken to me."

The late nights he'd spent alone would be meaningful, "Told me of the Avatar's failure to humanity."

The lifetime of work he'd done to push himself to the top, "They have bestowed to me a gift."

His life's work would be known. Everything he'd strived for, "A gift that will finally bring balance and equality to all."

"The power to take a person's bending away **permanently**."

As much as Muno hated his ideals, he was correct. Every single word. There was a reason these people believed in him. Republic City wasn't equal. Not for the non-benders. These people were following a lantern in the darkness. The wrong lantern.

But to take away someone's bending. That was terrifying. The thought it could be stripped away as if it were a bandage. To must, bending was a crutch. Third support. Without it, they would be lost. She couldn't imagine Lin or her metalbenders without bending. They'd be unable to police the city.

A line of three people was forced onto the stage. They were bound at the wrists and forced down to the ground by Amon's guards. Heading the trio of men was a familiar face. Muno had seen him in the papers before. His reign of terror–as some liked to call it–had apparently some on for long enough.

Amon gestured for two guards to pick up the bender. They dropped him beside Amon, "Please welcome Lightning Bolt Zolt. He happens to be the leader of the Triple Threat Triad and one of the most notorious criminals in Republic City." Muno didn't agree with Zolt's actions but to take away his bending was something else entirely. A punishment few deserved.

A wave of groans came from the crowd around her, "Go boo yourself." Zolt pushed himself away from the guards once Amon had allowed them to step back.

"In the interest of fairness, I will allow you to fight for your bending." He returned the microphone to its stand.

"Oh, you're on."

Muno didn't feel so certain about this little battle. She found herself silently rooting for Zolt. The way he stood alone on the stage; she could never do that. Not to face Amon. In this fight, he was an underdog. Criminal or not, he was still human.

He was cocky too. She prayed that wouldn't be his downfall. Amon had brought him here with a reason. Pre-planned reason. If they were to let him win, it'd be laughable; their leader, unable to defeat a bender.

Zolt went on the offensive almost immediately. Large flaming attacks that would deter any normal person. Amon merely dodged his attacks, taking his time to study the man's movements. 

Muno sighed in defeat. There was no plausible way Zolt would leave the stage with his bending. 

Zolt's final attack could've been legendary. A fire Muno had never seen in her lifetime. But it was cut short. In one swift movement, Amon had the firebender in his grasp. One hand held him up, extended over the stage by his neck. A steel grip.

Zolt's hands flew to his neck where he attempted to free himself. It was of no use. Not even his fire could stop Amon. A gloved finger pressed against his forehead. 

It was instantaneous. Zolt fell to the floor as if he were a sack of rocks. A terrible sight to see. Cheers arose in the crowd but Muno only wanted to leave. She'd seen enough. This was worse than death. 

Wordlessly, she backtracked down the hallway. A new sense of dread. Urgency? Anything opposite than what she'd arrived. If Amon could take away a person's bending then no benders would be safe until he was stopped.

*

Two days prior.

_ A full moon and yet the night sky was as silent as ever. Haunting in a sense. Muno never enjoyed the nights of a full moon. They were cold and isolating. They were the nights where she felt a stranger to herself and everything she'd learned from a young age. _

_ Kuro was nowhere to be found. No doubt he was off sleeping in the apartment somewhere. He'd come to her when she was ready. _

_ She'd been alone for hours. Dancing in the moonlight? There was no dancing. Only sitting under the windowsill. The cruel vial of water in the palm of her hand. To personify water; how tired was she? _

_ Though she was unable to see the starlit sky, she could see the moon in all of its glory. It mocked her. No words. Only the truth. _

_ Water was universal. A fact she'd learned as a young child. Something she'd grown to hate. Because the water was not universal. It was a curse. Nothing more. Nothing less.  _

_ Something she'd sworn away from the moment she'd entered adulthood. And yet she found herself alone on the floor, vial in hand. What a horrid hypocrite. Muno laughed at that. _

_ She emptied the contents of the vial into the palm of her hand. It wasn't much. Only what she'd allowed herself to take. She discarded the now-empty vial on the ground. The beads of water floated in the air with the twist of her hand. What could've easily been a party trick being her job? What a pity. _

_ A brilliant gift. _

_ A curse. _

_ She preferred to call it the latter. As far as she was aware, no waterbenders could copy the curse. The lone ability to feel the memory stored in the small water droplets. Only that of the stored water. Nothing else. It was better to remain private about it. No need to become a headline; Ba Sing Se detective finally goes off the rails. _

_ Muno reached for an unlit cigarette sitting on the windowsill. It would be a long night. _

_ She loathed herself for her ability to waterbend. She'd give anything to be normal. _

**_That was one way to put it_ ** _. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrite this chapter more than I would've liked. This is the finalized version that I actually enjoyed writing. There are a few lines/paragraphs that I believe give you an eye into who Muno is.
> 
> Not so surprising surprise; she's a waterbender who hates herself (like all of us). I think this being the most challenging chapter I've written and my favorite goes hand in hand. When I first attempted to write the chapter, it came out forced. But to me, this version is a bit easier on the eyes.
> 
> I hope to explain the whole memory bit when it's not 03:48 in the morning. This is where Olaf's line about water having memory came into play. I believe that some waterbenders would be able to really feel the water they bend. To understand it. Like Amon's ability to bloodbend without a full moon, Muno was born with the ability–to her knowledge its only possible during a full moon. That is all I have the big brain to type about that. I'll add more later.
> 
> A few jokes here and there that I felt fit in a bit. Or pushed in because I thought this semi-dark chapter needed a tad drop of comedy.
> 
> Thank you for reading. Even if it's not exactly what you're looking to read in life it's nice to see. Have a nice night/day/afternoon/morning/dawn (you know the list could go on).
> 
> 9/8/20 edit: I was planning on uploading the next chapter today but it will be postponed.


	5. Chapter Five: Mei

"Are you absolutely sure that's what you saw?" Lin asked.

The chief had barely stepped outside the precinct when she came across Muno. The latter had only been gone for upward of half an hour. Any quick jabs at the detective were quickly cut off. Muno ushered her back inside and began her dive into everything that had happened. 

Muno leaned back against her seat, "I'm pretty sure Lightning Bolt Zolt had his bending taken away but my eyes might not work like they used to," she said, "Yes, I'm absolutely sure, Lin. It was clear as day."

There were few things in life, Muno could really emphasize with. She'd seen the aftermath of losing one's bending. It never came back in the same sense. That was only from the drugs. Whatever Amon had done was worse in so many ways.

"You mentioned something about Equalists in Ba Sing Se the other day." Lin pulled up a chair to sit across from the detective, "Why haven't we heard anything about it?"

Muno stared at her with an incredulous expression, "You're joking?" No response, "Some connection to the Equalists. They work on their own but are on agreeable terms. They've created a drug that hinders a person's ability to bend."

She went on explaining about the information she had collected during her time in the Earth Kingdom. All while wondering why Lin had no information on the topic.

"Have you experienced these drugs first hand?"

*

_ Various syringes were laid out along the conference table, "Here we'll begin our own testing." Chief Shona. Would she get fired if she were to slap her boss across the face? Probably. _

_ "You want us to take them? Are you a child or are you just plain stupid? I can't tell." Muno stood, arms crossed against the door. A decent part of her wanted to turn in her badge entirely. Shona was out of line. _

_ It was a conference meeting between all high-ranking members of the Ba Sing Se police and Dai Li–much to Muno's dismay. Rare to see faces from all ranks in the kingdom. Even rarer for someone of her status as a rookie to be invited. Nonetheless, it was their life now  _

_ Chief Shona glanced toward the detective, "Why don't you take the first bit? If you're so against your fellow officers doing it, you'll do it yourself." _

*

"A few cases," Muno said, "There are underground bender and non-bender arenas that use them. They're easier to regulate. But Equalist activity is different–are you sure you never received files from Ba Sing Se?" She abruptly cut herself off. Something wasn't adding up.

Lin shook her head. They'd gotten their fair share of file transfers from the Earth Kingdom, but never anything about Equalist activity or anti-bending drugs, "My first case revolved around kidnapping and Equalists. They gave me the case because they hadn't found any new leads for a few months."

The chief remained silent while Muno went into detail. She recounted a number of events, even talking about Lee. All while distrust for the Earth Kingdom grew by tenfold.

"I suppose they don't have the greatest reputation for being honest with their citizens," Lin said finally. She wasn't wrong. Avatar Aang's interactions with the Dai Li agents weren't known to be friendly, "But the police force and Dai Li are two separate groups of people."

"Whether they are or not, we need to get  _ your _ officers on the streets," Muno said. She pulled a file from her desk, detailing all the metalbending officers–it was still a mess, "Everything Amon said. He's practically given these people liquid courage."

Eventually, all off-duty officers were lounging around the station, waiting for direction from the chief. 

It wasn't a comfortable silence. Neither of them had anything to say, yet even in the emptiness of the police station it was still uncomfortable, "It's late," Lin said, finally breaking the silence. 

"It's very early in the morning," Muno corrected. The clock on the wall read nearly half-past four. The sun had yet to peek over the city skyline. Sunrises seemed to be the only thing that made the early morning worthwhile.

"You're not tired?" Lin asked.

"I've been on stakeouts longer than this," Muno said. She wheeled her chair away from the desk, stretching in the process, " _ This _ is nothing."

Not an ounce of truth in her words. That was something Lin had come to understand during her time working with Muno, "And I've seen you work from dawn until dusk. Justification is not an answer."

"Justification is better than the whole  _ I'm here to do my job _ answer," Muno said.

"Both of which are in some form of work."

"What are you doing?" Muno said pointedly. 

"Nothing."

The detective creased her brow, not believing Lin. Nevertheless, she forced herself through the crowd of metalbenders and into the file room. 

*

_ There were a few words that could be used to describe herself at that given time. Baffled, bewildered, and perplexed were three that came to mind.  _

_ Chief Shona seemed unfazed by her unwariness to comply, opting to start a casual conversation with the Dai Li agent beside her. _

_ Finally Muno broke through the wall of tension, "You're asking me to inject myself with anti-vending drugs? What are you on?" _

_ Shona turned her attention away from the agent, "I'm not asking you, Detective, I'm telling you." It was as if she were taunting Muno. _

_ That had caught her off guard, "Detective?" She may have some experience but nowhere near enough to consider herself any sort of detective. _

_ "That is what you are now that you captured Lee. We can't have a rookie cop doing all of our work for us, now can we?" Chief Shona said. Her tone. There was something about it that made Muno want to shrink in her boots.  _

_ When Muno didn't respond, she continued, "If you're so adamant about your fellow officers taking the substance, then you will do it yourself. We are eager to see its effects in its purest form." _

_ "You've already seen what it does," Muno said. _

_ "We've seen the aftermath of its effects. Just the tip of the iceberg. You'd be doing a great service to our queen." _

_ Against her better judgment, she agreed. _

*

It wasn't until midday that she finally had a chance to head home. Between her time spent sifting through files and briefing the metalbenders there hadn't been much time to consider when she'd be able to leave. Of course, Lin had gone on trying to get her to head home earlier on multiple occasions.

Kuro laid lazily on Muno's bed. He'd made himself comfortable without the detective. Something she'd often noticed–when she was away, it was the perfect time to lay sprawled across the bed. Not that she wanted to sleep for the rest of the day or anything like that. 

"Can you move or do I need to move you myself?" The cat gave no response. If anything, he was comatose at this point.

She gave a huff, falling to sit down beside the cat where she could find space, "So you're just going to take up my entire bed? Can I bribe you with food?"

At that, Kuro stirred.  _ Food _ . Probably the one word he actually understood beside his name. He glanced up at Muno as if she'd finally said something worth listening to, "You're terrible, you know that? Absolutely terrible."

She heaved herself up from the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. On the floor, his bowl sat empty, waiting to be refilled. She opted for the bag of kibble sitting idly by. That did it. He sprung off the bed in a matter of seconds, waiting for the bowl of food.

"You know, I hate you sometimes." Of course, she didn't. He was probably the closest thing to a therapist she'd had in years. Akin to a friend in any given sense. Depending on how one looked at it; it was either cute or quite depressing. 

She set the food bowl down with a clatter. Kuro pushed past her and enjoyed his food, "At least one of us is having a good day."

No further response. Muno settled down halfway onto the bed, questioning where it was worth or not to put in the extra work and change into her evening wear. She did not. Instead, she was and would remain dead to the world until further notice, as she liked to say. 

A relaxing sight, really. An unconscious detective and her cat; too focused on his food to notice the shadow outside their apartment door. 

*

_ "You aren't looking too good, Rookie." The chair beside her creaked, signifying someone had sat down. When no audible response was given, they jabbed at her side, "Platypus bear got your tongue? Do they even have tongues? Is that a question I should be asking you? I feel like that's above your pay grade. Mine too." _

_ "You get cold feet now, Muno? Just heard you got promoted. Maybe your nickname needs some work. How does 'Rookie Detective' sound?" _

_ Mei. In all of her life, Muno had never met a person so determined to make her smile. It was a simple gimmick. Her side comments and wordless expressions could brighten up a room.  _

_ They'd met when Muno was first accepted into the Ba Sing Se police force. Mei had been assigned to teach her the ropes. Something that could've been done in a matter of days had been stretched out into weeks. Not that she minded. Mei was a welcomed sight. _

_ "Muno?" _

_ The–now–detective turned to face her friend. Anything she could've said had bled away in a matter of seconds. What could she even say? 'Oh yeah, I just took anti-bending drugs because the chief said I'd be doing a service to the Earth Kingdom.'  _

_ "I'm just tired. It's been a long day and all. You understand," she said, finally. _

_ "Muno, you and I both know I may be stupid. But I'm not that stupid," Mei said. Her tone was serious–not an often occurrence, "That was your first big meeting. What happened?" _

_ They'd been friends long enough to understand each other. Trust was more important. She teetered over whether it was okay to tell her about the conference or not. _

_ She did. Once they were out of earshot of any of the officers of course. Her companion listened all the while, never interrupting as she would in a normal conversation. She offered a few words here and there to provide comfort while still reeling from the new information. Her comrade had been forced to take anti-bending drugs to show first hand what it did. If anything it made her blood boil.  _

_ "You look like you need some comfort food. Why don't I take you to a place I know?" Muno didn't give much of an argument. In truth, she probably needed a good meal. After her experience at the precinct, she was akin to a ghost. It was a wonder Mei hadn't said anything sooner.  _

_ Mei led the duo down the winding road until they arrived at the lower ring. They passed a few "legal loophole" passages which Mei had explained she'd also gained access to "legally." That had been the first time Muno smiled that day. It wasn't even over a joke.  _

_ By the time they arrived at the restaurant, Muno wore an expression of only confusion. Contrary to what was normally believed to be "poor, " the restaurant was in decent condition. Something she hadn't expected after living in the Middle Ring.  _

_ "I was like you when I first came here." Mei opened the door for her friend and sidestepped in after, "It was for a stakeout. How does the saying go? Not everything is as it seems?" _

_ She gestured to an empty table near the back. Muno was thankful the place hadn't been too busy. Only a few folks who seemed dead set on minding their own business.  _

_ When Muno stumbled, Mei was there to catch her and help her down to her seat. She nodded in thanks, leaning heavily on her left hand. She was tired. Had she always been so tired? _

_ "You're unable to bend then?" _

_ She shrugged. She'd seen those kids after the effects. They were barely able to bend. She only hoped to get something out of Lee when they interrogated him. _

_ Mei called over a waitress, asking for a single cup of water, "There's only one way to find out." _

_ Muno leaned forward in her chair, willing her hand over the cup. Water. It was all she could focus on. The stillness and compactness. The condensation that created a ring around the bottom of the cup. Even the ice cubes. It flooded her mind and yet there was nothing. Unwillingness to bend as she pleased.  _

_ "It'll be okay, you know? You told me those kids could bend again. That means you can too, right?" _

_ Her only response was a hopeless expression. Mei grabbed the cup, downing it in few gulps, "No water to bend means there's a chance you can still bend." Her attempts to make Muno smile were thwarted by the waitress returning with two menus.  _

_ She appreciated Mei's attempt. A hand drifted across the tabletop. Muno glanced down to say Mei's fingers laced with her own, "What are you feeling up for today? You look like you need something warm." _

_ "Rice?" _

_ "Are you asking me or yourself? If you want rice, you can eat rice." _

_ She only ordered a small bowl of rice. Even that she wasn't sure she'd eat. Her appetite hadn't exactly come back after the conference meeting. Mei had gotten a whole selection of items. Sometimes Muno wondered whether the woman had a second stomach.  _

_ Ten minutes in and she'd only taken a bite or two. Of course, Mei had taken notice. She eased a slab of who knows what–meat maybe–onto Muno's rice, "You need some protein. Gotta get some meat on those bones of yours." _

_ "I don't think that's just how it works, Mei." _

_ "Way above our pay grade, remember?" _

_ "I feel like I should argue that point but you're also correct." _

_ Mei spent the rest of the afternoon passing various vegetables into Muno's bowl so it would never be empty. The detective understood why she'd gotten so much food. She had already planned on getting Muno to eat.  _

_ When their meal was finally over and Muno had attempted to pay, Mei revealed she already had. Soon after entering the restaurant, she'd paid their hostess likely double what the meal cost. This was met with a plea from Muno. _

_ "Nope," Mei had said, "After that meeting, it's only fitting. Plus I enjoyed eating with you.  _ **_We should do it again_ ** _." _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just two weeks late because I'm fancy. I hope this chapter begins to give some insight as to why Muno doesn't like getting involved in matters pertaining to bending. I wanted to focus more on her character before Republic City.
> 
> Also semi-beginning to see Lin and Muno in situations together.  
> Part of me feels like I might be hypocritical towards somethibg I wrote in. a previous chapter so whoops if that actually happened. 
> 
> I wrote this chapter in so many parts it's unbelievable. Because I can apparently not one scene at once so it might be a little hectic but I just enjoyed the last scene. It might be a little all over the place but I'm hoping that this chapter will actually be kicking off Muno's plot.
> 
> Anyway; the next chapter is out on the 19th.


	6. Chapter Six: Tenzin

Three sharp raps echoed throughout the apartment. Kuro paused, a mouthful of kibble, and glanced at the doorway. When his owner didn't respond to the unexpected visitor, he took it upon himself to wake her up. One leap of faith later and he was on the bed. A few more steps and he laid comfortably across her face and began purring. 

Muno woke with a gasp for air, shoving the cat off of her face. Her mind was still on the dream, half expecting to find a half-empty bowl of rice nearby, "What the flameo is wrong with you?" She'd barely been asleep for five minutes and here she was–woken up by Kuro. The cat looked at her, no expression, and went back to eating his food.

Her question was answered when again three sharp raps sounded against the door. She hadn't told anyone her address, had she? No. She was sure of that. With one hand, she pushed herself off the bed and straightened her shirt. Wouldn't want anyone to know she'd been sleeping at noon.

Hesitantly, she opened the door only to be met with a man much taller than herself. Her first response would've been that it was Avatar Aang. But of course, it couldn't be. He'd been dead for twenty years. Councilman Tenzin. He was at her door and Korra stood behind him. 

It was different from seeing him in the interrogation room for upwards of thirty seconds. He'd actively sought her out. Was there already an advancement on Amon's part? So many questions clouded her mind.

"Councilman," she said, a blank expression. Of all the things she hadn't been expecting, it was this. Why was he here? She snapped out of her daze and gave him a half bow, nearly falling down in the process, "Come in." She opened the door fully, allowing the two to step inside. 

"Detective Muno," he greeted. He had to bend under the door frame to enter, "I was hoping we would officially meet under better circumstances, but time seems to be against my best wishes."

Korra glanced down toward the cat, who was still busy stuffing his face. Of all the things she expected Muno to familiarize herself with; it hadn't been a black cat who looked as if he had free rein of the apartment. 

Muno had absolutely no idea what to expect from Tenzin. She'd been in the presence of the Earth Kingdom queen only once, and that was enough for her. Tenzin could be absolutely like her, and she'd have no clue. Though given his heritage, she doubted it, "Anything I can get you while you're here? Tea?"

He waved her off, excusing himself and Korra from her offer, "We've come to request your presence at a gala hosted by Councilman Tarrlok."

For a moment, his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. The cogs in Muno's brain were still turning and processing Tenzin's words, "What?"

"He's been relentless trying to get me to join his task force," Korra said, "To hunt down the Equalists."

"Isn't that the point of a task force?" Muno had still not grasped the point of their visit.

Tenzin cleared his throat, drawing the attention to him, "He's been recruiting metalbenders into his force. It'd be helpful to have a watchful set of eyes at the gala as we'll be lacking our own officers."

"We have all metalbending officers on the streets now, haven't you heard?" Still not fully understanding.

"An executive order," Tenzin said simply, "It went through an hour ago."

Now she understood, "He can't just do  _ that,  _ can he? That's outrageous. We need all the metalbenders we can get on the streets."

"I'm afraid he can. The other council members voted in his favor."

Muno internally groaned, "How many officers did he take?"

"At least a third."

Muno leaned heavily against the kitchen counter behind her, "You're joking."

"If he was joking, you'd know," Korra said.

Muno's mind was zipping around various subjects in her brain. Even after Amon's rally the night before, Tarrlok still wanted to take away force from the precinct and put it into his own task force, "So what do you want me to do? Go to his little gala and observe?"

Tenzin nodded, "That would be helpful. If there are any Equalist attacks, it would be good to have you there."

"I'm not exactly rich-councilman gala material. I'm sure Chief Beifong could handle it herself." Part of her was only saying that because she was tired. The other part was being genuinely honest. Of all the priceless parties and celebrations she'd been to, she'd never felt welcome at any of them. Even when they were hosted in her honor.

He waved her off, "You will be there to make sure nobody gets hurt. If anything, you'll just be perceived as a special guest. You do have a reputation, you know."

That seemed to do it, "One more question." Tenzin remained quiet, waiting for her to continue, "Why did you request my transfer of all people? I'm sure there are people who'd do this job better by tenfold."

"I know there's more about you than you like to let on, Detective," He said, "That is something I've come to understand given my experience as councilman representative of the air nomads and a father."

With that, they were gone. Muno yawned and glanced down at the cat, who had only now finished his meal.

_ Meow _ .

"You're terrible company. Maybe I do need to be around people more often."

*

She'd arrived at the gala nearly an hour early. Most of her time had been spent shuffling about the grounds. More or less she was looking for all entryways and exits in the buildings. Of course, that was until she got distracted by the chosen band setting up their sets. Lots of stringed instruments. 

"And you must be Detective Muno." He'd spoken six words to her, and she already held a low opinion of him. His tone of voice. Pompous and much too forward for her liking.

"Councilman Tarrlok," she said, returning the greeting. To remain civil with the very person who took away a third of the police force wasn't easy.

"I've heard many things about you, Detective," Tarrlok said. 

She glanced around the room looking for any excuse to avoid him and made eye contact with Lin, "All good things I hope." She made a subtle gesture to the councilman, almost pleading for Lin to come over. 

The chief seemed to understand and made her way over to the trio. This caught Tarrlok's attention, "Chief Beifong, I believe you and Avatar Korra have already met."

Lin looked Korra up and down as if to size her to, "Just because the city's throwing you this–don't think you're something special. You've done absolutely nothing to deserve this."

She rolled her eyes, starting off in another direction. Muno took the opportunity and took off after her. She made a minor detour, grabbing a drink from the serving table nearby, "Thank you," She said once they were away from the crowds. 

They retreated to a balcony outside. No longer was Muno forced to hear the dreadful music that repeated the same four songs over and over. She enjoyed the peace of the night sky and the sight of the city in the distance.

They stood in comfortable silence. Muno took the time to down the small glass of golden liquid. It tasted terrible. Her face twisted and for a moment her stomach did a flip. How anyone could spend money on such awful alcohol was beyond her. Then again, these people had money to waste. She'd had home-brewed alcohol that had tasted better, and that was saying something. 

They remained quiet until Muno yawned, "Did you even sleep?"

This caught her attention. She turned to face Lin who was watching her from the other side of the balcony, "Until Councilman Tenzin and Korra came knocking on my door, yes."

"Doesn't look like it," Lin said.

For a moment, Muno didn't know quite how to respond until a smile crossed her lips, "And here I was thinking the chief had absolutely no sense of humor."

"You know you're off duty."

"And there goes the sense of humor," Muno said, "Out with a bang in fact. Is this how you treat all damsels in distress or is it just me?" 

Lin raised an eyebrow, almost disappointed in the Detective's response, "I'd hardly believe you're a damsel in distress."

"Given our little sparring match, I'd assume so," the Detective leaned against the railing. All things considered, it had been a decent interaction between the two of them, "Though I do always find the defensive much more enjoyable than the offensive."

"Are you always so annoying?"

"Only when I haven't slept." Where had the newfound burst of humor come from? Mei? Or alcohol. Either way, she clearly had a terrible sense of humor. Was it even humor? She knew how to tell real jokes. Muno only ever listened.

"So you haven't slept?"

"Five minutes, give or take."

"Go home, Detective."

"And miss Councilman Tarrlok. I think I will."

With that, she was gone. She'd said her goodbyes to Tenzin, who wished her a safe trip back to her apartment.

*

_ It was a weekly event now. She was their "test subject" for lack of a better word. To see the prolonged effects of the anti-bending drug now called Antib to shorten the name. Once a week Muno was invited to the conference meeting. A once a week she'd take Antib. Once done with the meeting, Mei would be outside, waiting for Muno. Some days she'd take her to that little restaurant in the Lower Ring. Other days she'd help Muno back to her apartment.  _

_ At the end of the day, Muno could never really voice how thankful she was for Mei. In the precinct, she was the only person Muno truly called her friend. Especially after her interactions with Shona.  _

_ This week it had taken a toll on her. For so long she had gone without bending. She'd relied so heavily on it. She nearly fell into Mei when the doors opened. Anib had to do something more than just take away one's ability to bend. Week by week, something inside of her was leeched away in the worst way possible. A sense of coldness.  _

_ "Muno," she said calmly. She grabbed the detective by her arms to steady her, "Muno, you can't keep doing this." _

_ She really couldn't. The way the days seemed to drag on. The concept of time was rather unrealistic these days. _

_ "Hi Mei." _

_ She would've appeared drunk to any other person, but Mei knew the truth. The terrible truth, "Muno are you alright?" _

_ She leaned into Mei, a crooked expression, "Just tired. You know how the meetings are." _

_ With one arm firmly wrapped around her waist, Mei led Muno through the maze of hallways until they were safely outside. It was getting dark now. Her words fell on deaf ears. She was worried now. More so than she had been in weeks previous.  _

_ Muno didn't recall much of what had happened. Only that they were soon in her apartment. It seemed Mei already had a glass of ice water on hand as soon as the waterbender sat down. After a while when she finally had her bearings together she said, "You don't have to do this." _

_ "But I do, Muno, they're using you." She said. Her tone; sadness masked by anger, "You know they are. I can't bear watching you leave that room. It's like a part of you leaves every time." _

_ She didn't have much of a point to argue. She knew for a fact, had Mei been in her position, she would do that same, "I can't." _

_ Mei sat down beside the detective, waiting for her to continue, "If I do, I don't know what she'll do. You know what the Dai Li agents would do if I tried to stop." _

_ She'd only heard stories–rumors. When war raged on in the Earth Kingdom seventy years prior, they were the people who "rehabilitated" those who went against the grain. Perhaps that was her greatest fear. To be taken away and locked up until further notice.  _

_ Mei seemed to take notice of her sudden disposition, "Muno, you know you can't go through another week of this. I will put a stop to it." _

_ She set the glass of water down on a nearby stand and leaned back into the couch, "You can't." _

_ "Why are you so hopeless? Muno, you're the one who spent months in the academy to get where you are now. I'll be damned if you let yourself die for that witch of a chief," Mei said. She'd thrown her hands up in the air halfway through her words. Muno had centrally no clue why. Probably the frustration. _

_ When she began to respond, Mei stopped her, "No, let me speak. If you keep this up, you're going to die. I will not allow that. Ever." _

_ When Mei left that night, they never did say goodbye. Why say it when they'd see each other the following day. Only half-hearted words and the tightest bear hug Muno had ever experienced. That should've been her sign.  _

_ From that day forward, Muno wasn't required to take Antib. But she never did see Mei. She didn't come to work the following day. Or the day after that. Or any day. Muno never saw her again after that evening.  _ **_She never got to say a proper goodbye_ ** _. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More insight? Maybe? I have no clue what I'm doing. But I like writing angst even if it doesn't turn out the best. This will be pre-set to post so by the time it posts, it should be my birthday–give or take a day or two if AO3 wants to be weird.
> 
> As of reading this a week after writing it: ew. I don't like my own writing but we're going with it.
> 
> Update as of 09/29/20: The next chapter should be out soon(?) It'll be an angst fest because that was the sole purpose of me wanting to write this story. So that should give you an idea of what the rest of the story will have in store. Its also going to be longer. We'll be seeing Muno actually bend sometime soon so who knows how many times I'll rewrite that bit until it sounds right.


	7. Chapter Seven: Electrocution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some semi-torture bits (?) so skip it if you'd like.

She'd been plagued with terrible dreams these recent weeks. Most of them consisted of her time in Ba Sing Se. All of them held some relation to Antib. And some of them regrettably featured Mei. She could only wish for dreamless sleep. So she laid awake in bed at night until the ungodly hours when she should be sleeping after looking over papers at the precinct all day. Rinse and repeat. 

They'd gotten nowhere with the case. They'd never get anywhere with the case. That was how it had been since Amon's rally. Even with Korra working with Tarrlok's task force, they never made any real headway. Nobody ever cracked. It was starting to piss Muno off.

That was exactly how Lin had found her at her desk. Looking over paperwork as she often did with a scowl, occasionally stopping to comment on how horrible they had been filed. If anything, it was a welcomed sight. A tight-lipped smile showed for only a moment. A truly competent person–something Lin relished in. She caught herself before anyone could see and pushed the thoughts away. Clearly, it had gone unnoticed by Muno, who was currently pulling out a new file. 

"Don't even ask. There have been no advancements," she'd said without looking up. The file in question was something on anti-bending riots twenty years prior. It wouldn't lead to much, but they were grasping at straws.

"You look tense. Are you doing alright, Detective?" Lin asked. For the most part, the office was empty. Most officers either opted for lunch or were on patrol. The clear exception being herself and Muno. 

Muno twirled her pen between two fingers, leaning back in her chair, "We have nothing to go on so you tell me. How am I doing?" It wasn't long before she had her reaction, a sigh gracing her lips, "That was uncalled for. I'm sorry."

Lin didn't look discouraged. If anything, it'd made something incredibly clear, "Care to get some fieldwork in? You've been bound to that desk for far too long. I can't have an officer who doesn't know her way around the city."

Muno glanced at her surroundings, not expecting the invitation. It wouldn't be a bad idea. How long had she been sitting at that desk? If anything–far too long for her liking, "Just for a short while."

*

"If I'd known your example of fieldwork consisted of this, I would've stayed at the precinct," Muno said, an unimpressed expression. She watched on as Lin rebent various metal signs. They'd been vandalized–likely by teenagers. She wouldn't have minded if it weren't blazing hot outside. The summer sun was never enjoyable. 

The grassy field that surrounded them offered no shade against the sun. There wasn't a tree in sight. It was only a field surrounded by a city. A coat didn't do much to help. It was a wonder Lin could bear the heat in metal armor.

Lin stood over a welcoming sign. It would always be a mystery to her as to why people would waste their time crushing metal signs, knowing that they could be fixed. It'd be a bigger deal to just steal the signs entirely, "Someone has to do it," she said.

"Why not get one of your officers to do it?"

"Do you want to bend some signs?"

For a minute, Muno didn't know how to respond, not sure whether it was a joke. She decided running with it would be the better option, "As much as bending metal is on my list of things to do, alas, I'm not a metalbender," she said, "Or an earthbender at that."

"Pretty sure it's malleable enough to be bent with brute force if you're going for that."

Inwardly, Muno was smiling. Though she didn't portray it, she was happy to get away from her desk–even for a short period, "Is watching me suffer on your to-do list?"

Before Lin could respond, a voice spoke, startling the detective, "I saw you a while back, remember me?" Muno turned on a dime. She recognized the doorman who guarded Amon's rally. He sat alone on a park bench, seemingly enjoying the day, "Yeah, you were at the event. What'd you think about it?"

Lin raised an eyebrow from beside her. The detective waved it off, turning her attention back toward the doorman, "It was certainly something, an eye-opener." Another lie. She'd hated every second she'd been subjected to. 

"There's another session again. Mostly for new folks like you. A chance to get more personal with him, if you know what I mean."

Muno stared on with a blank expression. There were more elegant ways to say it instead of making it sound like some kind of sex cult, "Okay?" It came out high pitched, "What did you say your name was again?"

"Bohai. Named after some Ba Sing Se general. Or that's what my mother says," he said proudly, "You probably don't need me to ramble on." 

He not-so-discreetly passed her a small piece of card paper. On it was an address–likely to some temporary base of operations, "Hope to see you there again." With that, Bohai was off, opposite the direction they'd come.

"What was that about?"

"Some social activities I partake in."

"You've picked up a partner then?" A vague interest in the subject that caught Muno off guard. 

"Oh flameo, no. Just casual meetings?" She questioned her own words. They'd come out faster than she'd preferred, "That doesn't sound right. No partners whatsoever. Just my cat and I. His name is Kuro. He likes to eat fish." She internally facepalmed. Why did she start talking about her cat of all things, "I'm going to go do things? Groceries. Laundry. Chores. Yeah. Bye."

She was headed back into the financial district. Not a long trip, but not preferable on foot. The card in her pocket felt ever the heavier. The location listed wasn't far. A detour of only a few blocks. It wouldn't be the best idea to visit. Probably a terrible idea. 

Muno let a false sense of security guide her down the winding streets until she arrived at the listed address. It was barren outside. No real sign of life. She reread the card.  _ Down the alley _ . To her right was a large gap between buildings. Likely used for large satomobiles to cross between the large buildings with ease. 

She veered off in that direction. There was a lone door, something she would've missed had she not been looking hard enough. It was wedged in between two piles of scrap metal. When she neared the door, it opened expectantly.

Bohai greeted her at the doorway, "Didn't think you'd come here so early. Not disappointed though. I think you'll enjoy this meeting as much as I did my first time."

He led her down a maze of hallways until arriving in what Muno would consider a conference room. A fable took up a majority of the space. Various individuals sat in chairs; most likely recruits into his legion. Across the room, she saw a familiar mask. Amon. He busied himself with that of another man.

It was him–she realized–who stood beside Amon. She could've recognized him from a mile away.  _ Lee _ . He had his arms crossed behind his lower back, clad in what Muno could only assume to be Equalist robes. As the phrase often went; she was a sheep in the lion's den. Only it had been made worse considering her cover was an inch from being blown.

"Now what did you say your name was?" Bohai asked.

" _ Mei _ ," She lied. It came easier than expected. Her tone was quiet now–not a whisper, but not loud enough to be heard from across the room. 

"Nobody seems to be conversing with him now. You up for meeting the savior himself?" Bohai asked with a smile. If she were to decline, it would be suspicious. If she were to say yes, she'd come face to face with Lee.

"No time to get a tour of the place first?" She joked. When Bohai didn't give any reaction she nodded her head, "What is there to lose, right?"

"That's the kind of attitude we're looking for."

Her stupidity held no bounds. All would've been fine had Lee not been here to unknowingly thwart any investigations. Cautiously, she followed Bohai as if she were a shadow. There was a chance he might walk away to do something elsewhere. 

"Amon. Lee," Bohai said, drawing their attention to himself, "We have a new introductory member that I'd like you to meet. Caught her at the park. Glad I did so too." He sidestepped out of the way, allowing Amon and Lee to see her, "This is Mei."

This had caught Lee's attention. He looked her up and down, an expectant expression. Though he didn't say anything, Muno knew she was at a loss. Self-preservation had never been one of her traditional skills, "A new face," Amon said, "What has drawn you to our cause?"

"We're treated terribly. In and out of the major cities," Muno answered. Partly from experience. She'd seen how non-benders were treated in some places. It was wrong. 

"My deepest apologies that you've had to experience that first hand. We are all here for a reason. Some of us have just taken a longer path," Amon said. She remembered his story from the rally. A firebender permanently scarred his face. 

Lee cleared his throat, "I assume you haven't had the warmest interactions with  _ them _ ," he said, "That can be said for all of us. Why don't we go for a walk? I give you the grand tour. You tell me about it all."

"That sounds like a grand idea. I'd love to hear your story as well if that's alright," she spoke through gritted teeth. 

Once they were a decent distance away from the center room, Lee said, "What are you doing here, Detective?"

They were in a narrow hallway lined with piping. Something industrial. Dimly lit. Unknown territory. "I could ask you the same. Last I heard, you were behind a foot of rock in the fire nation for your crimes," Muno said.

"That's not answering my question. But I will answer yours.  _ A friend of yours _ gave me a little leverage." The emphasis on 'friend' put her in a state of unease. Someone she knew was working with Amon. A rat in the precinct?

"Just thought I should stop by. Make sure there was no underage drinking," Muno said dryly, "What do you think I'm doing here?"

Lee stopped walking, "You know we're not going to let you walk out of here. It's best if you speak now rather than later." Muno didn't respond, only waiting for him to continue.

"You're going to do this? You're being childish." Muno–once again–didn't respond. They were far away from Bohai and Amon now. No water in the nearby vicinity. It'd outright be a miracle if she were to get out of this successfully, "

Lee sighed dramatically, "I wish it hadn't come to this, Detective." A metal rod pulled from his utility belt made contact with the bare skin of her neck. At only a moment's notice, she was sprawled out on the floor in a matter of seconds. The electricity took a terrifying toll on her body. A wave of pain rushed through her body before unconsciousness claimed her. 

A pained cry echoed throughout the building. Muno was jolted awake by an electrical shock. Had she been conscious enough to form words, she was sure they wouldn't have been appropriate for some ears. Some eternal dream was what this had been. 

Upon the discovery that she was strapped down to a chair, all thoughts of a dream left her. She glanced around wildly, eyes scanning the room, "So it's Mei now?" She recognized that voice. Oh, to be on the receiving end, uncertain of the future. 

When Muno didn't respond, Lee gestured toward the metal rod cast aside on a nearby table, "She said you'd be here but I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. You're a better detective than I originally thought, but you just don't have the will for your line of work."

"What do you mean by my  _ line of work _ ?" Muno asked. She eyed the rod with a hesitant expression. How abrasive had she been these past few days to ignore her safety?

"Detective, need I spell it out for you?" Lee said. He pushed himself off the table he'd been leaning on so he could stand in front of Muno, "You're too emotional. Biased might be a better word. Really makes a fella wonder. I did some digging. Turns out there's more to that  _ non-bender-nobody charade _ you try to put on."

*

Her individual status had always been a confusing subject. Even to herself, it was hard to find common ground between her paperwork and her thoughts. It was true–she'd been born in the Northern Watertribe. Not that she even remembered anything. Only the vivid memories that could've been dreams. She'd never been back. A feat she'd hope to keep up.

Of course, along with that, she'd never met her blood parents through a conscious state. Being a small child at the time, she didn't remember them now. It was probably for the best. She'd gotten ahold of her file–barren but there. Both non-benders. One a hunter. The other would remain at home. It was interesting to think that she could've turned out like them; calling the North Pole home. If anything it would've been preferable. 

After they'd passed away when she was two, she'd been shipped halfway across the world to a small fire nation house. That had always stumped her. It was unrealistic. Why leave the water tribe when there were families there. An answer she'd likely never receive. 

She'd grown up with her parents; an unsuccessful businessman and a woman who owned a market stall. Alongside that, she'd had a brother–always covered in a sludge of some sort. Muno had a happy childhood. While not a firebender, she learned how to bend, nonetheless. That was something her father had been adamant about. He taught her to the best of his ability. 

"I can't do it," Muno said hopelessly. She stood across from her father, Kento, on the dirt heap they called a backyard. A full day of trying had left her wondering if she was even a bender. 

The fire that enveloped his hand seemingly vanished–something he'd considered a party trick–and he stepped down from the dirt pile, "Muno, I know I'm not the teacher you'd like but I'm capable just as you are."

When she remained silent, Kento continued speaking, "I was once taught by my father. Not a bender, but he understood. Bending is not who a person is but an extension as to who they are."

"That doesn't make sense," Muno said. She glanced down at her hands. They were curled into fists now, "I can't bend."

"You're only saying that because you choose not to think about it. I've seen you bend before, Muno."

"I'm not going to let you out of this one. Deny it as you may, you're not weak."

A few years after she'd reached the age of legal status, she left. Not for any particular reason. If anything, she should've stayed. To be ignorant of the world would've been preferable. 

Muno traveled around for a few months before settling in Ba Sing Se. The great Earth Kingdom. It hadn't been easy. She struggled to stay afloat for her first few years. Life orientated around small jobs outside the city walls. It wasn't a bad life. Not preferable, but not a bad life. 

Eventually, she'd gotten herself recruited into the Ba Sing Se police academy. Part of her wasn't so sure how she'd managed to travel down that winding path, but it was a real job opportunity. 

These recent months had just been her time in Republic City. She'd been careful, one bending once during her time in the city. Best not to end up like her first year in the Earth Kingdom.

*

"What do you know about me?"

He held the electrical rod in one hand, waving it around loosely as if to draw attention to himself, "A few things actually. One being that you lied." Without warning, the electrical rod was placed against her side. It was instantaneous. She bit back the scream waiting to jump out. For only a moment did everything go white. At that moment, she felt the most excruciating pain she'd experienced in her life. 

The pain ceased when the rod was pulled away and set aside, "Detective, you're a bender," Lee said, "A waterbender at that. It's people like you that think they can stomp all over us."

"You're lucky I didn't go straight to Amon. Just thought we could get even–you know–seeing as you're the one who had me locked away… seven years ago now." It'd been that long. Something Muno had only now come to understand. They both loathed each other for separate reasons. Lee because seven years in prison hadn't been pleasant. Muno because of the effects Antib had on her. 

"You gave drugs to children. I think that's an easy offense," she spat out the words with an incredulous expression. She was in no place to make indecent remarks. 

"Wrong place. Wrong time. Detective, they were just pawns like  _ you _ . I'm willing to play the long game."

For only a moment he left the room. He returned with Bohai in tow, "You see, Detective, I see no need to get my hands dirtier than they already are. My friend here will make sure you take a nice nap until you're needed again." He was done again, leaving her and Bohai alone. 

"You're the detective that got him locked away?" There wasn't an ounce of anger in his voice. More-so curiosity. Muno was taken aback by the question but slowly nodded her head, "First thing he talked about when getting here a few months ago. Must've done him in good."

Another nod. There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Bohai, though full of questions for the woman in front of him, found that it would be improper to ask at least half of them, "Why are you here?"

"You invited me. Seemed like an opportunity to gather more info. Now I'm tied to a chair," she said. Her words came out harshly. Not that she hadn't meant any word of it. It was the truth. 

"You think you can take both of them down?" By both, he was referring to Amon and Lee. 

That was something she had to think about. Given her current situation, it hindered her ability to go about solving the mess, "Maybe."

"I think you can."

Muno glanced up, one eyebrow raised with a look of disbelief, "I have a plan. You won't like it one bit, but it'll work." She remained quiet, waiting for Bohai to continue, "I give you the drug, use the rod, you go to sleep, and  _ somehow  _ the ropes aren't tight enough and you  _ somehow _ make your way down the hallway.  _ Somehow _ you know that you need to go right, take two lefts, and continue down the long hallway until you reach the door."

"What."

"How dense are you?"

She didn't respond to that. It was rhetorical, "Why are you helping me?"

"I knew I recognized you when I let you in that night. I lived in Ba Sing Se before all of this," he said. He narrowly eyed the rod sitting aside, knowing he'd have to use it, "You don't seem like all that bad of a person. I've never once heard that you were a bender. You just did the job you were meant to do."

"So you're going to let me escape because to you I'm not a terrible person?"

"Yes."

"Let's get this over with."

Bohai gave her a reassuring look before pulling out a syringe from his pocket. Now number one on her list of concerns was whether or not the needle was clean. Something she'd fret about at a later date. He held it up as if to ask her if she were ready. Muno shrugged–the only real answer she could give. 

"I'm only going to do this once. You get caught again–I won't help you."

Between the drug and electrocution, Muno couldn't give a definite answer as to which was worse. It didn't take long for the effects of Antib to settle. A headache was the first sign–one that would soon grow to become a migraine. Tired. The metal rod was once again placed at her side. Unconsciousness hit her like a satomobile.

When she awoke, it was like a slap to the face. The room was empty, but something had woken her. A glance down. The ropes at her wrists were loosened. She'd hug Bohai if he weren't in with Lee. She clambered out of the chair, nearly falling once–only caught by the table in front of her. 

She peeked her head out the doorway. Nobody. That was a decent sign. Or a terrible one. She'd just have to take it in stride. 

For a moment, she wondered whether she'd get caught. The hallway appeared to be empty. This could be some ruse to give them a reason to attack, but something in her doubted that Bohai would lie like that. What did he say? Go left? Right? Muno couldn't remember. It was a mess of a maze in the dark, no less. She decided it would be best to head right. If she were wrong, then she'd cross that road when she got there.

Down the winding maze of hallways, she'd gone until she reached the long hallway Bohai had mentioned. Not a soul crowded between herself and the exit. Even if that was all the luck she'd been gifted in her lifetime, it was enough. She tore down the hallway. A voice sounded far behind her–likely alerting others of her absence. It was too late for them. Her shoulder collided with one of the heavy doors, pushing them open with ease. 

She burst through the heavy doors–no doubt supposed to be locked. It was a warehouse. The moon was high in the sky; how long had she been unconscious for? 

This was a side of town she'd only been to once while on patrol with Lin. She could recall the general location of the chief's house, but for the most part, she was lost. 

She could hear voices behind her and for a moment, she felt the ghost of a hand on her forearm. That was what drove her forward. Even in her groggy state, she knew if she were caught, it wouldn't end well on her end. A multitude of factors was involved; the amount of intel she'd gained in the short amount of time spent in the company of Amon and her past interactions with Lee came to mind.

She traveled down the twisted thicket of streets, a hand constantly at her side. It didn't ease the pain–only a reminder that she needed to escape the terrible situation she'd gotten herself into. She barreled into a nearby open alleyway, knocking over a trash bin as she went. 

Once she hit the open street again, she broke into a dead sprint, nearly faltering a time or two. It hurt. The muscles in her legs begged for a sense of relief. Electrocution and athletics didn't seem like the best mix of activities. 

There was no chance of bending her escape after her dosage of Antib. Most times it'd wear off after an hour, but it'd be another week or so until she could bend. For now, it was just how long she could keep up a running pace. 

In the distance, a fenced-off park came into view. It was a decent place to lose them. Additionally, she was coming into a residential area. As good of a chance as any to find a place to hide away for a few hours. Muno pushed the gate open and took off inside. It was just an open field, if anything. A dog run hidden away in the city, perhaps. She was thankful for it nonetheless. 

She was tired now. That was a fact. If there was at least one takeaway from this situation, it would be how much she loathed cardio. 

Halfway across the field now. It was cold out. She was cold. Even–what could be considered–a jacket wasn't much of a match against the chill of a summer breeze. 

She hefted herself over the fence, one hand coming to back to meet her wound at her side. A pained gasp as she covered the burned skin. Muno pushed herself forward. One of these was Lin's house, right? What address had she said? She nearly faltered when she hit a patch of grass. The uneven ground working itself against her.

_ She pushed forward _ . She didn't dare look at her side. It had been downright torture. She'd been in scuffles with lightning benders before, but to be continuously struck by a man-made lightning rod. She would've been completely okay handing in her badge before she had to live through that again.

A light flickered on in a distant house.

No doubt they knew who she was now. There was no hiding behind a facade anymore. She'd seen him standing there. He'd seen her. It was clear as day. His words to her from years previous, were etched into her brain, repeating as if trying to prove a point.

_ Never underestimate a rookie cop. I'll remember that next time _ . There wasn't supposed to be a "next time." Things like this didn't just up and happen. Lee was playing the long game.

The footsteps behind her sounded even closer. They'd been running for so long. How long had she been running for? She nearly tripped over an uprooted portion of rock but managed to stay upright. 

Another light in the same house.

Whether it was Lin's house didn't cross her mind. She wouldn't be able to run for an eternity, and a house seemed like the better option when trying to defend herself from Equalists after being injected with Antib.

_ She understood the game now. _

She hadn't even gotten to the door when it opened almost immediately and she was met with Lin. For a moment, the metalbender appeared frozen. She looked Muno up and down, eyes catching on her waist where a hand rested, covering the torn shirt. Lin didn't even want to imagine what was hiding beneath it, "Hey." That had been her lifeline. No longer did footsteps echo against the pavement. 

_ The terrible terrible game. _

Muno slouched; their height difference was evident. Had she been even loopier, she would've made some half-baked joke, "What happened." It wasn't a question. Not a demand either. More of an intuitive statement. Even that didn't do it justice. They were words.

_ She was a pawn.  _

"Some off duty work," she said. Maybe it was better to start the conversation that way. To hold on to her only shred of "I didn't go diving headfirst into Amon's inner circle and run away when I got hurt." That had been exactly what happened.

_ An unwilling participant in a game that she'd only now come to realize had been going on for much longer than she'd originally thought. _

Not for a moment did Lin believe that. She'd felt more than just Muno outside. Decidedly, it'd be much safer if they were inside. More so for the detective's sake rather than her own. 

Lin opened the door wider, fumbling for Muno's wrist and pulling her inside. It was a wordless exchange when she dragged the detective into her sitting room. She pushed the detective down onto the couch before retreating into the kitchen and returning with various items from her medical kit. 

Muno scanned over the items in Lin's hands. A lot of it she hadn't seen before, "You get into fights often?"

"Just lift your shirt." Muno did as told, wincing when the material brushed up against the mess of burnt skin. If Lin was uncomfortable, she didn't show it. She only examined the wound–the first time Muno had even gotten a real glimpse of it. The tangled mess of burns intertwined could've been considered an art piece if it weren't etched into her skin.

"I'd hope you'd ask me out for dinner first," Muno said in an attempt to lighten the mood. She'd get an earful from the chief of police and was trying her best to put it off. 

Lin glanced up, raising an eyebrow, her face displaying no distinct emotion for only a moment, "Who did this to you?" It was a real question. Not rhetorical, "If I recall correctly, I sanctioned none of this "off duty" work for you."

And so she told her. There was no reason not to. It was she who had intruded. It was her who was currently sitting on her boss's couch after showing up on her doorstep. Of course, she excluded the minor details; being shot up with Antib, the extent of electrocution, and her little dream fest about life before Republic City. Things were often safer for her if she was just a  _ non-bender _ .

"You're stupid, you know that?"

"That's something I've come to understand."

"That was dangerous. You could've gotten killed."

"I know."

"You're going to stay at that desk of yours unless I'm there with you."

"I'm not a child."

"Yes, but you also have a target on your back now." A wave of coolness washed over her side, "I'd rather my best detective not get killed by their lack of self-preservation."

Muno agreed with that. She wasn't exactly subtle when it came to her job. She'd injured herself before. All minor. But safety hadn't ever been something on her mind. She was also the second party–never the target. 

"Tomorrow we'll be attending a pro-bending match. All officers will be there to watch over and make sure it goes as properly planned."

She couldn't argue with that. Her only question being how they'd managed to keep the commercial sport going when Amon had actively threatened it. At the same time, if it weren't an empty threat, they could be endangering the lives of attendees and pro-benders. To add onto that; if they were to cancel the event, it would show their ability to bend to Amon's threats. 

They were in a rut. 

"What did you learn?" By now, Lin was wrapping a bandage around her side–the only proper way to cover the burn. 

She thought on everything she'd heard Lee say, "They're planning mass removals of bending. I don't know where or when though. They've got a mole in tight with one of your officers."

The last words left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was something she should've expected. Any files they had containing real information on Amon were likely destroyed. 

Lin didn't respond immediately. She was quiet, mulling over what Muno had said. She retreated somewhere else in her house, down a darkened hallway for a time. When she finally returned, she had a pair of fresh clothes, "The bathroom is one door down on the left. I'll set up a place on the couch for you."

"I'm staying here?"

"Do you really want to head home after all of that."

It wasn't a question. She had a habit of speaking like that–making Muno guess if she wanted an answer or not. She owed the woman her life. That was something she knew. She'd pay back that life debt

" **Thank you, Lin** ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a period of 25 days to write. I'd pick it up, read what I wrote, and put it back down. Now that it's out of the way I hope that writing this will come easier to me than that whole ordeal. 
> 
> Thank you for 666 hits. I think that's a fine and dandy thing to come back and see.


	8. Chapter Eight: The Waterbender

No dreams to be had. Only a hungry darkness. When she finally awoke, it was noon. Sunlight gleamed through a set of closed blinds. A certain silence was welcoming. On a couch against the wall lay, Muno who's eyes stared off at the ceiling pattern.

Muno pushed herself up, rubbing the sleep away. A throbbing pain in her side. One glance around the room told her that she wasn't in her apartment. Another told her that the room appeared to be empty. The events from the previous night created an eerie atmosphere around her. 

On a nearby coffee table sat a glass of ice water. One arm outstretched, she forced her hand in an upward motion. Nothing. Again. Only stillness. It was expected. Sooner or later she'd be able to bend again. Until then, she'd live life as she always had. Instead, she picked up the glass with both hands, bringing it to her lips. She hadn't had anything to drink since her time at the station. Water was a welcomed sight.

"You're finally awake." She drew her attention away from the glass toward Lin, who stood in the doorframe. In place of her armor was a white tank top, similar to the one she'd sparred in.

For a moment she wondered if Lin had seen her failed attempts to bend a puddle's worth of water. If she did, there was no mention of it, "Thank you," Muno said, "For last night I mean. I did some stupid things and got myself in some stupid places. If there's anything I can do to pay you back."

Lin waved her off, moving into the kitchen to dabble with this and that, "What you did  _ was _ horrendously stupid but I only did what was right of someone to do. Any pain?" Muno nodded her head. She entered the living room once again, this time bearing two small pills, "Should help with the pain for now. We'll get a clean bandage on it. Your clothes are clean now. In the same bathroom if you want to change out of  _ that _ ."

The clothes Lin had lent her last night. Comfortable as they were, she preferred her own set, "Thank you, Lin." She set down the water, pushing herself up and away from the couch. She'd almost lost her bearings but caught herself, playing it off as if her feet were asleep. From there she traversed the hallway, only stopping when she arrived at the bathroom. 

One look in the mirror said it all. She looked terrible. Dirt, grime, and a purple bruise on her lower jaw. How she'd managed to earn herself a bruise was beyond her. Water. She turned on the faucet, scrubbing harshly at her face in an attempt to remove all traces of the previous night. 

Her face was beat red once finished. A sigh of defeat. She changed into her clothes, shouldering the heavy jacket. A final glance at the mirror and she was out the door once more.

*

Lin's pace was quicker than usual; Muno nearly struggling to keep up given her side injury from the night before. She recognized the building they were entering. Not from experience but from various news articles she'd read. The council building. It could've been considered one of the largest buildings in the city had some of the factories not surpassed it in size.

"Remind me why we're here again," Muno said, pushing a glass door open for the two of them. They hadn't skipped a day decorating the place. Large pillars ran from the floor to the ceiling. Various statues decorated the main foyer–events from history. Muno had only recognized a few of them; the ending of the One Hundred Year War and the founding of Republic City's police force came to mind.

"They're voting on whether they should hold the final Pro-Bending match or cancel it altogether," Lin said. She led Muno up a few flights of stairs and down a long hallway before they arrived at one final–large–door.

Muno stopped walking for a moment, Lin following suit after the echo of footsteps disappeared with it, "You said last night that we'd be there and now you're not so sure it's happening at all?" Muno asked, a confused expression had blossomed. 

"That was before Amon made a public broadcast while you were still out of it this morning."

"What?"

Lin gestured for Muno to keep up as she started again, the same brisk pace, "I'll give you a debrief later. They could've already ruled on this and we'll have to deal with it. If not then we still have a chance."

Lin pushed the door open with such a force Muno hadn't seen before. Five councilmen from the various nations sat around a half-circle table. Of the five, Muno only recognized Tarrlok and Tenzin. Additionally, Avatar Korra and two other individuals Muno only vaguely recognized from the newspaper stood in front of them–likely there to argue for the same reason.

From a slot in her armor, a metal cable shot out toward Councilman Tarrlok who held a gavel in one hand. Once the cable connected with the wood, it snapped it into wooden splinters. Despite the stupidly bold approach, Muno found it enjoyable. She watched as the same cable receded once more into Lin's armor. Muno made a mental note to ask about that later. 

Lin stepped forward, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I  _ agree _ with the Avatar."

Korra glanced toward the chief with an expression of bewilderment, "You do?" She asked. The expression faded when she saw Muno behind her, "I mean of course you do." 

"I expected this kind of cut and run response from Tenzin, but the rest of you?" Lin scoffed, her eyes falling on the four remaining council members, "Come on. Show some backbone." 

Muno liked this side of the chief. It was only proof that she truly deserved the title. Unafraid to argue with those leagues higher than her, "It's time the benders of this city showed their strength against the Equalists," she said.

From the table, steps above them, Tenzin shook his head vigorously in disagreement, "We must prevent the conflicts between benders and non-benders from escalating into all-out war, Lin."

Muno cleared her throat, "If I may add, they're only waiting for you to back down. It's a sign of weakness. Whatever you decide to do will tell them how to react." She finished, "We are at a disadvantage."

For a moment, Tarrlok's gaze locked on Muno. Besides the police chief, she could've been a statue, always listening yet rarely speaking. Something he'd experienced at the gala after her little escape to the balcony outside, "Now just a moment, Tenzin. Let us hear what our esteemed police chief has in mind," he said, "She brought the detective so that accounts for something."

Tenzin rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in annoyance, "You can't seriously be considering this."

Muno only hoped her words would be able to persuade the council, "If you keep the arena open, my metalbenders and I will act as additional security during the match. Our armor is impervious to a chi blocker's attack." At that moment, a metalbender's armor didn't seem like a terrible idea to wear in place of her jacket.

"Are you saying you'd  _ personally _ take responsibility for anything that happens during the match?" Muno glanced at Lin for any sign of a reaction. Nothing. The councilman's words left a certain unsettling rot in her chest. His emphasis on 'personally' was the kicker.

"Yes, councilman."

He nodded his head as if to take in the new development, "It is hard to argue with Chief Beifong's track record. Which is why I will be changing my vote. Is anyone else with me?" Three of the remaining council members raised their hands–Tenzin being the exception.

"That concludes it. The final Pro-Bending match is on."

Before Muno could bring up Tarrlok's words, Lin stole out of the room, followed by Tenzin, "You work with Chief Beifong?" A voice from behind her. She turned to see one of Korra's friends with a face of awe.

"I suppose so, yes." She answered carefully.

"I've seen your face somewhere before. You used to work in Ba Sing Se?" Not missing a beat, he continued, "Yeah, I remember reading about you. Quickest officer to ever become a detective. You must've done some crazy things to do that."

A hint of a smile graced her lips, "I've seen you before as well. There must be some reason you care so much about the pro-bending match." Then it hit her, "You three must be pro-benders."

"The Fire Ferrets," the same boy concluded, "Korra, my brother Mako, and I–Bolin." That's where she'd heard the name before. He'd made a clean sweep, keeping them in the running for the finals a few weeks prior.

"Best of luck at the finals then. I'll be rooting for you." 

She was about to excuse herself from the benders when the Avatar stopped her, a hand on her forearm, "You were the officer with Lin when they arrested me, Korra said. Not aggressively. Intuitively might've been a better word.

"Not the best first interaction with the Avatar," Muno said. Korra nodded. They hadn't. Korra had only just arrived in Republic City and Muno had been worried about furthering Amon's plans, "Why don't we start over?"

"Korra." She held a hand out to greet the detective.

She grasped the hand in her own, "Muno."

*

They'd arrived at the stadium after a short meal at the precinct. It could probably fit several houses from the lower ring in Ba Sing Se without a problem. Thousands of seats lined the arena section. The arena was something else. Nearly eighty feet above a pool of water was a platform where various benders fought. For a few minutes, Muno had been in a state of awe. She'd never attended any major events in the Earth Kingdom. If the threat of Amon didn't look over them, she'd probably find real enjoyment in the event. 

She'd made a point to walk around the seated area to get a "lay of the land". To track how fast she could make it from one point to another. It would be hindered when people were involved. But the basics were important.

Officers went to and fro, checking under seats, making sure the dark corners were truly empty, and filing through to their posts. It was decided that Muno and Lin would be together at an overhand that looked over most of the arena. 

Muno settled for a spot on the overhang where she could lean against the railing comfortably. It was more or less a waiting game. The real show would start when the match began. It was a trivial subject.

Lin remained stiff, watching over her officers as they went through their routine sweeps, "Do you think this is a good idea?" She broke their silence, almost sounding unsure.

"Do  _ I _ think this is a good idea? No," Muno said, "but it's not about what we think. It's about showing Amon that we will not back down. Do  _ you _ think this is a good idea?" Muno repeated. 

Before the chief of police could respond, Tenzin stepped onto the overhang. Lin seemed to know almost instantaneously, "How is the security sweep going?" He said, moving to stand beside her. 

"Fine."

"You've checked under the stands?" He asked intuitively.

"Yes."

"You have enough officers to cover all points of entry?"

"I have the skies, the bay, and every nook and cranny covered. Now please let us do our job." He glanced toward Muno, an apologetic expression. No need to push their matters onto her.

"Lin, with so much on the line, it would be nice if we could help each other out. Just for one night," Tenzin said. Muno felt as if it were a conversation she wasn't meant to hear. It was clear that they weren't on good terms. Whatever had happened in the past had affected them both.

"Like old times," Lin said 

" _ Like old times _ ." Tenzin echoed her words.

"I'll try to be less abrasive than usual."

"That would be nice." With that, Tenzin was off elsewhere.

It wasn't a welcomed silence now. Muno had half a million questions she could've asked. Instead, she kept her mouth shut. It wouldn't be reasonable for her to push herself into Lin's personal life, "I'm going to go and get some air," she said. She gave a half-hearted smile. 

The area in question where she decided to get air was down by the waterside. The location that pro-benders fell to when they were knocked out of the ring. Muno kneeled on one knee, both hands over the water. 

A bubble–maybe two formed on the surface.

*

"Oh, come on. That should've been called," Tenzin said, groaning for what could've been the hundredth time. He pulled at the tip of his beard in annoyance.

Lin rolled her eyes from beside him, "Didn't know you knew the rules of pro-bending."

"I've just been brushing up on the rules." Tenzin adjusted his robes, a graceful smile falling into place, "Besides," he added, "he blatantly bent outside of his zone. It was cheating."

Her first pro-bending match and it was clearly rigged. She'd come and see a better match another time, "Seems like the refs were paid off. Not much we can do."

Though there were many painful moments, Muno cracked and gave a grin at Korra's unbelievable win against the waterbender during the tiebreaker. Tenzin cheered her on in a way that the detective had never seen a middle-aged man do. 

Lin jabbed at Tenzin's side, "I can't believe your sweet-tempered father was reincarnated into that girl. She's tough as nails."

"Reminds me of someone else I knew at that age. You two might get along if you only gave her a chance," Tenzin said. Once again, she understood that there was something between the two. Not one to pry into their personal lives, she turned her attention back toward the match.

Together, all three benders–Korra, Mako, and Bolin topple into the water after two illegal flows from the Wolfbats. Both Muno and Tenzin seemed to have the same thoughts running through their minds, "Oh come on! Those were illegal headshots. Open your eyes, ref," Tenzin groaned. Anger evident in his tone.

"They should've won that," Muno pushed herself against the railing, straining to get a view of the Fire Ferrets in the water below, "It's unbelievable how far someone would go to cheat."

"I suppose we should've expected it. There  _ is _ a reason why they've been crowned the champion team for a few years," Tenzin said.

The events that unfolded next were instantaneous. There was nothing they could've done. Various audience members dawned on masks and gloves. From the corner of his eye, Tenzin could see as someone reached toward Lin, "Look out!" He'd shouted. Not fast enough. The attacker made contact with Lin's armor, charging up the device. Only seconds later it powered up, electrocuting her. She let out an agonizing scream before falling to the floor–unconscious.

Muno shares a worried look with Tenzin who managed to blow a gust of air toward Lin's assailant before he fell to the ground. Also unconscious. 

This left the detective alone against two Equalists. Still in recovery from the night prior, there'd be no real fight. She knew that. If anything, it'd be hard enough to put up a chase as well. She muttered an incoherent stream of curses before electricity spread through her body like wildfire. Unconscious.

What seemed like only a couple of seconds had transformed into minutes. She woke to Lin gently shaking her shoulder. Whatever Lin had said had gone unheard when the bending platform exploded before them without warning. Rubble flew through the air into the stands. She held a hand in front of her, sheltering her from the brunt of the blast. Soon she found Lin with her back to the explosion, doing the same with her back to protect both of them. 

"What the flameo happened?" She said once the explosion had calmed. Again, no time for a response when a tornado of water suddenly burst from below. Korra rose to the top, shooting upward toward the–newly blown–hole in the ceiling where Amon and his Equalists were escaping.

"She's not going to make that," Lin said suddenly. The chief was right. The higher she went, the less she was able to control the water. Soon enough she'd be falling toward the ground once again, " _ She's not going to make it _ ," Lin said again as if to hype herself up for what she was about to do. 

One metal cable shot out from a slot in her armor, connecting with a pillar across the stands. In a matter of seconds, she was off. A blur flew through the air, soon making contact with–the now falling–Korra. The Avatar grabbed hold of the cable before Lin swung her up toward the airship.

Muno glanced around the arena, looking for anything that would lead her to the roof. She couldn't bend her way up there. Even if she weren't hindered by the drugs; if the Avtar couldn't do it, neither could she. 

Then she saw it. A few rows up from her was what she assumed to be a roof access door. Her blurred form barreled over the seats until she reached the door. It did say roof access. When she tried the handle, it wouldn't budge. An outward stream of curses–if her mother had been there, she was sure she'd be slapped halfway back to Omashu for her vulgar language.

A hand on her shoulder nearly made her jump out of her skin. Soon revealed to be Tenzin. He gestured for her to move aside. Though leaned against the wall to support himself, the airbender sent another gust of air toward the door, knocking it down. He reassured her, saying he'd direct the crowds toward the exits. Muno thanked him before bounding up the stairs. A few times she'd almost tripped but got there in the end.

Upon arrival at the roof, she's met with what could be considered the worst storm she'd seen in her time in Republic City. A summer storm yet vibrant flashes of color ran rampant in the sky. The distinct boom of thunder echoed overhead. Even the rain was something else entirely. 

Not far from her, Lin and Korra fight back to back against three Equalists. It was not an equal fight. Lin kept herself at a distance. The metal cables and armor weren't useful when they could be shocked by the metal rods. Korra lashed out with her firebending, leading an onslaught of attacks against one Equalist in particular. 

One foot after the other, the detective bounded towards the conflict. It was unclear what she would do. What she  _ could _ do. There were no blunt objects on the roof. The damn near closest being her own body and she refused to get too close for comfort. She caught Lin's gaze for only a moment before a thought finally hit her. 

_ A twinge of pain _ . 

Both hands outstretched–bent slightly–made obscure movements akin to that of a firebender's. Never fluid, but had a sense to them. A cautious step forward. She forced a hand down toward the roof, only pulling it back up when she knew there was some success to her actions. 

_ Her chest ached _ .  _ So painfully it hurt to breathe _ . 

Again. She repeated herself. Her movements were more haphazard than the ones before. The drug was still in her system–that she knew. Anything she could do now, she'd only be able to sustain for a minute or two. Finally, she pushed herself up from the roof.

_ It felt as if one hundred pins and needs stuck to and fro inside of her chest, moving around whenever she'd gasped for air. _

A tether made from rainwater rose from the roof with an air of uncertainty surrounding it. At any given moment, it looked as if it would collapse alongside the water on the roof. Muno refused to let that happen. She forced a hand forward and clamped her first shut tightly. 

_ It burned _ .  _ It hurt to move. Something deep inside her told her with every bone in her body to stop. But she couldn't. To persevere through the pain was what she had long since done. But this was different. To stare at the pain. There would be no return to her blissful ignorance. The pain. The burning. All of it drawn from one thing. She was a waterbender. _

There it was. The tether of water snaked through the sir until it made contact with the torso of an Equalist. The tether wrapped around them, forcing them into the air before harshly pinning them to the roof.

It didn't take long. The water tether dispersed onto the roof and the Equalist groaned, rolling onto his side. Muno faltered as she fell to the ground on both knees. A pain in her chest seemed to reverberate through her body until it stopped altogether. She glanced up at Lin who had been watching with a concerned expression. 

That had done it. The thin line that had been holding her back finally snapped.  **All air of precaution flew away with the wind.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing this chapter. That is all. It made me emotional. Because I have no uploading schedule: see ya when I see ya! Once again, thank you for reading.


	9. Chapter Nine: Cabbage Corp

The pain she felt was something else entirely. A fire in her chest that refused to die despite the downpour of rain they were experiencing. From her muscles to her bones; feet to head, she felt it. The ache. Only the droplets of rain that hit her skin kept the fire at bay. Only a moment later, the pain was gone. In its place was exhaustion. 

She half-heartedly breathed out a sigh of relief. With both hands, she forced herself up and away from the roof, balancing on the heels of her feet. Muno staggered for only a moment before she steadied herself. It felt different. Everything felt different. New. Something she hadn't been graced with in years. To breathe fresh air. To walk. Hell, even the rain looked a hint brighter than it had before. 

She watched with vague interest as Lin shot both cables toward the airship. She flew through the air faster than anything Muno had ever seen. Back on the roof, Korra was deep in combat with an Equalist. Fire was ignited and sizzled out in the rain almost immediately. She played offense while the Equalist played defense, using his electricity only when it best suited him. 

One last strike of fire forced him off of the roof. Korra looked to Muno, a half-smile with a hint of victorious edge. All was cut off when her portion of the roof collapsed. 

Muno scrambled toward the edge, careful of the unsteady glass she was putting her weight on, and forced her arms forward. Nothing. Figures. Unable to bend when it was necessary. One glance up told her Lin had already decided on what to do. Cables connected with the–still collapsing–roof, and she propelled herself down. The detective released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding when both of them safely reached the stands. 

A quick scan of the roof–only her and the storm–and she decided it would be best if she returned to the safety that was level ground. Muno returned to the stairwell and carefully made her way down. 

She was greeted by Tenzin who guided her towards an open seat. It was only then–looking at her hands–that she realized how much she had been shaking. She gripped the armrests to still herself. It hadn't been much help, "Are you alright?" She recognized the voice. It was from Lin. 

The chief had chosen to sit directly beside the detective. She leaned forward, clasping her hands together, waiting for Muno to respond. When she didn't, Lin began idle chat. Mostly of metal and its properties with metalbending. Occasionally she'd find the detective staring out at the arena below.

"I think," Muno said finally. It was short and had abruptly cut off Lin, but she didn't mind. Soon after, she shook her head, almost disagreeing with her words, "This has never happened before."

"What happened? You looked like you were in pain." Lin bit back several questions, settling for only one. Of course, she'd suspected that Muno was a bender. The detective wasn't as private as she thought she'd been. Blue eyes led her to assume the obvious. But the amount of power she'd seen in the water tether. Even in a weakened state, there was no doubt. Muno had more to hide than she previously thought.

Unlike the previous night, she wouldn't mind sharing the truth. There was no reason not to now–especially after Amon's attack. Being secretive was only a larger disadvantage, "There are drugs that exist. When taken you're unable to bend for an extended period. Likely the beginning of Amon's reach."

"Because the effects weren't permanent, they were only ever used to immoral purposes," Muno set her gaze on the gaping hole in the platform. Metal blown upward had left it a hazard, "Those purposes being torture."

Words left on the tip of her tongue. Saying them could criminalize multiple members of her former department. The same department she would be returning to once Amon was dealt with, "The Ba Sing Se police force used  _ voluntary  _ test subjects." She'd paused after speaking. It hadn't been voluntary. She was sure Lin had taken notice of her usage of the word. 

"Last night when I was doing  _ things _ I was given the drug. Normally it takes me a week before I'm able to so much as bend a drop of water," Muno said, "But on the roof–that was new."

Having let Muno tell her story, Lin took the time to respond, "Have you taken the drug before?"

"A few times." 

Though she'd never seen Muno bend other than twenty minutes prior, she could safely assume there was a reason she hadn't gunned the chance while they were sparring, "Will this change how you can bend."

"I don't know."

Lin caught herself before she berated the detective with more questions about her bending. She wasn't an interrogator, "Muno, are you sure you're okay?" It was an earnest question. She'd seen the pained expression on the roof. 

"I don't know," Muno said, "I think I'm going to go home." She'd added after a moment.

"Let me escort you."

"Lin, there's no need—"

The chief interrupted her, "—It would be no trouble for me. Besides, we don't know if there are other attacks tonight. It'd be safer for you." After what she'd seen on the rooftop, she'd be damned leaving the detective to walk back home alone.

Muno obliged, allowing the chief to lead her down a flight of stairs and outside the stadium. Numerous metalbenders patrolled the nearby vicinity. Lin explained the various precautions already put in place–including a curfew for the time being. 

It wasn't a long trip. Given that Lin had access to a Satomobile, they arrived at the apartment complex quicker than Muno had ever imagined. One day she'd have to invest the money into a vehicle. It'd make travel around the city leagues easier. 

Muno led them up a narrow flight of stairs until they arrived at a lone door. She unlocked it with the help of a metal key and stepped inside. 

The two officers stood apart, separated by a simple door frame. Of course, a rambunctious cat who'd decided it would best fit him to lay down in the doorway much to Muno's dismay, "Stupid cat," she said jokingly to ease the silence. Muno bent down and heaved the black cat up with both arms. 

Cat in hands, she nearly toppled over had it not been for Lin catching her on her shoulder. She was exhausted. Muno briskly apologized. She stepped away from the doorway and dropped the cat onto her bed. The detective told off the cat in a hushed tone that made the chief of police stifle a smile. 

"Sorry about that and thank you for catching me there," Muno said. It sounded corny the way she spoke.

The two once again stood across from each other in silence. Lin cleared her throat, "I should be getting back to the stadium."

"Of course," Muno said. She watched as the chief turned to walk away and three words jumped out of her, "Thank you, Lin." The words she found herself saying more and more as time went by. Each time, she meant them more than the last. 

Lin said her goodbyes before she was gone. As soon as the door closed, she moved to rest her head against it, eyes wide open. A multitude of thoughts rushed through her mind– _ What the flameo was  _ **_that_ ** ? She didn't even know what  _ it _ was. Muno let out an internal groan. These past few hours had made life abundantly confusing.

Kuro let out a stray meow. He sat idly by his bowl, "I'm sorry for calling you stupid. You are. But I don't need to vocalize it." Muno grabbed his bowl and filled it with cat food, "I'm also sorry I wasn't home yesterday or this— I'm talking to a cat."

Muno slid down to the floor, back against the wall as she watched Kuro eat, "I'm going crazy, aren't I? Why am I even talking to you?" The cat turned around, a mouthful of food waiting to spill out, "Never mind. Just eat."

As awkward as an interaction between them, it was the final calm before the terrifying storm.

*

She'd taken a week away from the station. In that time she'd counted the tiles on the floor in her house–there were forty-seven and a half, annoyed Kuro beyond belief, and gotten around to reading about the history of penguins. Anything and everything except bending. 

Most of it had been out of fear of leaving her apartment. Lee could easily wait outside and snag her when she wasn't prepared. Some had been over the fact that her side still hurt from that night when she'd been struck by electricity. 

It was early in the morning when she entered the station. The sun had yet to rise. Muno liked it better that way. Her desk had been arranged the same way she'd left it a week prior; disheveled and covered in various piles of paperwork. 

She sighed, falling back into the cushioned chair. Her gaze snapped to a lone envelope placed neatly on top of her desk. It was addressed to her. A glance around the room. Still empty. It had been placed there while she was out of the office. 

_ Detective Muno,  _

_ I hope this letter finds you well. We've been long waiting for a response back. You understand that you were sent to Republic City to help thwart the Equalist threat from spreading. _

_ We request that you plan a return trip to Ba Sing Se for a day trip. We'll talk over the information you've gathered and decide whether it is worth it to keep you away from our great kingdom. I expect to see you in my office on the third Friday of the month at noon. Failure to show will earn  _ **_punishment_ ** _.  _

_ Warm regards,  _

_ Chief Shona of the Ba Sing Se Police  _

She read the letter once, twice, three times before she ripped it up and threw it into the trash can under her desk. Her last read through told her that she needed to be in the Earth Kingdom by the end of the week. She still had time.

"Detective Muno, I trust that you're feeling better now." An officer she'd seen before. High-ranking. They hadn't interacted much in the time she'd been in Republic City. 

"Officer Song," she said, greeting him, "A week or so should've done the fix."  _ Not exactly _ . But she couldn't ask for much in this line of work, "Thank you for asking."

He gave her a friendly smile. One that didn't quite reach his eyes, "I've heard great things about you, Detective. I figure it's as good as anything if you and Chief Beifong are out looking."

"Same for you," she said in a careful tone not so sure how to answer, "You have quite a reputation." ' _ I think _ ' she wanted to say. She'd never had a one-on-one conversation with him. 

Song nodded his head toward the chief’s office. The door was closed and there was only silence coming from within, “If you're ever looking for a permanent transfer then you know where to file your paperwork.”

Part of her truly wanted to tank him up on his offer. At first, the very idea of Republic City repulsed her. She’d read the papers and listened to the radio. The chaos of the city was one hardly experienced in Ba Sing Se. For obvious reasons too. They spoke in hushed tones of the Dai Li agents. Even Muno was uncertain of their moralities at play. 

Now it was unclear. Her time in Republic City was much more enjoyable even with the threat of Amon looming overhead. She wouldn’t mind staying in the city; to have her remaining furniture shipped from the Earth Kingdom. She would consider it, “A bit unprofessional to steal me away from my job in Ba Sing Se, isn't it?” She quipped.

“Forget I asked.”

Rather than return to her desk, she approached the chief’s office. Even with the door shut, she knew Lin was inside. Likely trying to make headway on the case as Muno should be doing. She stood outside for a moment. Hesitation.  _ Why was she hesitating _ ? There was no reason to hesitate, was there? Rather than question herself, she pushed the door open.

Lin hadn’t even raised her head when she began berating the uninvited entry, “How many times do I have to tell you. Knock or I’ll —” she cut herself off when she saw Muno standing outside the door frame. Her expression immediately dropped, and she gestured for Muno to take a seat, “You’re back,” she said finally.

“Can’t stay away forever.”

“Your recovery has been well, I assume?”

“Haven’t died yet so something worked.” Lin raised an eyebrow at the response, only letting up when she added, “I’m fine, Lin. Just sore. But that's nothing time can't fix.” When Lin still didn’t appear so sure, Muno gave a reassuring smile, “I’m fine, really. Have there been any advancements while I’ve been away?"

Lin turned the file that she had originally been studying to face the Detective, "We’ve come to understand that a large company might be dealing with the Equalists. Cabbage Corp." She finished **, "** Various information from multiple people who’ve stepped forward."

"What will come from it?"

"An intel mission," Lin explained. She leaned forward in her chair and began flipping through the file to another page to reveal a set of plans. Muno questioned the action for only a moment before Lin continued, "My metalbenders will infiltrate the headquarters and look for signs of Equalist involvement."

"What of me?" 

"Are you well enough?"

"I suppose so."

"Then you are free to come along. That is what you were transferred here for."

*

They didn't speak much on the ride to the factory. They'd made small talk but Muno remained stuck on the letter. She'd only been away for a few months and, they wanted her to return for a day trip. The whole idea was odd. 

They'd park leagues away from the factory, and we're led inside by one of Lin's metalbenders. Something about discrepancy.  _ Something  _ she wasn't so sure about. She made idle chat with an officer, opting to listen rather than talk. It was the only thing they could do–considering that they were waiting for a signal. 

"I think that's just about everything that's happened while you were on leave," the metalbender–what was her name? Kim–said with a smile. From a birthday mishap to encountering a lost child on her route, the officer was full of stories, "Now don't go telling me you did nothing. You were gone for a week. I would've taken a trip somewhere. I hear Omashu Is pretty this time of year."

Muno almost smiled at the woman, "I can't say I traveled anywhere. I did sleep a lot though."

"No exciting stories? No acts of heroism in the kitchen? Just sleep?" Kim busied herself with one of the metal pieces attached to her armor as she waited for Muno to respond. 

"Just sleep," Muno confirmed. First Officer Song. Now it was Kim. It wasn't out of the ordinary to converse with the metalbenders but the fact that she'd never openly talked with a majority of them had confused her. 

"You were on the roof during Amon's attack?" Muno narrowed her eyes at the officer.  _ That _ was what she wanted to talk about. Begrudgingly she responded, causing the officer to snap up from her metal, "I didn't mean it like that. Was that why you were taking time away from the precinct?"

Though Muno knew she only meant it in a caring way, she didn't want to be reminded of what she felt on the roof. The pain she had experienced was unbearable. Something that left her in a state of unease, " **I hardly think that is any of your business** ."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I originally wrote this chapter it was 6000 words long and has since been split into two. I don't feel the writing is on par so it'll likely be edited/rewritten in ther near future. 
> 
> But thank you for 1000 hits! Thats honestly amazing.


	10. Chapter Ten: Sato Mansion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dragged myself to fin ish this chapter so I'm just gonna add salt to the wound and go for two updates in one day. Enjoy!

Kim pulled Muno up to her feet so they could enter the newly formed opening in the wall and apologized before opting to talk with other officers. The Detective was forced to lean down to fit through–which earned a smile from the metalbender. When they entered, they were met with the sight of wooden crates piled on top of each other.

Without thinking, Muno approached one of the opened crates to peer inside. Before she could do so, Lin grabbed hold of her forearm, "For all we know it could be a bomb."

"I'm sure if it were a bomb we'd all get caught in the blast,” Muno said. Her tone was harsher than she’d originally meant. After her interaction with Kim, she only wanted to go home. Lin decided not to question the Detective, instead allowing her to investigate the crate. A layer of straw covered whatever hid underneath. A moment of doubt passed before Muno reached underneath the straw. She fished around before making contact with cold metal. She glanced toward Lin who watched on with an untelling expression. Muno pulled out the object. It was an Equalist glove. One she remembered from the night at the arena.

“Looks like our intel was good,” Lin said finally.

“There's enough here to bury Cabbage Corp for an eternity.”

*

"This is an outrage. I'm innocent."

Muno watched as the man struggled in his restraints. There was no relief. Something about all of this had been off-putting. How easy it had been to find the Equalist gauntlets. There hadn't been an effort to hide them beyond locking them inside of a room. It was too easy.

"Yeah, yeah. That's what they all say," a metalbender–Kim said as she forced him inside the back of a Satomobile.

The metalbender gave her a light-hearted expression when she turned to see Muno observing her actions, "Do you think he's guilty of all of this?" She asked suddenly, gesturing toward the Equalist gauntlets being loaded into precinct Satomobiles.

"Whether I think he's innocent or guilty doesn't matter," Kim said. She leaned against the side of the vehicle, "I do what I'm told and you should too."

At that, she didn't respond. These recent weeks she'd found so many similarities between herself in Ba Sing Se and a few of the metalbenders. It was haunting. Muno only nodded her head, taking in the information.

"Is it true that Cabbage Corp is conspiring with the Equalists?"

"The evidence points in that direction. For the time being, we are freezing all of Mr.Gan-lan's assets and closing Cabbage Corp."

"Does this mean you're any closer to bringing down the Equalist threat?"

"We can't be absolute but it's a start. It's a tedious process but I'm sure that we'll come out on top as we always have."

"Is it also true that you've brought in a detective from a foreign city?"

At the mention of herself, Muno spun on a dime to see Lin, addressing the crowd of reporters on the ground below, "That is true. Detective Muno of the Ba Sing Se Force has graciously offered her services in this harsh time."

Muno found herself thinking over the reporter's words. Logically nobody should have known she was here. She had little to no contact with anyone that wasn't involved In the Equalist case. Aside from Bohai and Lee, her identity was relatively secretive.

Interrupting her thoughts, Mr.Gan-Lan let out one final yell through the cracked window in the Satomobile, "No! Not my Cabbage Corp."

*

She remained at the station for the remainder of the day, mulling over the findings during the Cabbage Corp raid. Guilty people lie. That was something she'd come to understand. But was he guilty? In truth, it was impossible to tell. They only knew that there was an extreme amount of evidence that told them he was.

She opted to file paperwork. She'd return home soon enough and mindless work passed the time. Rather than

So deep in her thoughts that when a sudden radio transmission came through, she'd nearly fallen out of her chair. Both hands dove into the ocean of papers that decorated her desk to find the radio receiver. It let out a barrage of noises before finally crackling to life.

"Detective Muno." It was from Lin.

"Yes?" She said as she scrambled for the handheld microphone.

"Arrive under the Silk Bridge before midnight.”

The transmission ended, leaving Muno confused. A glance at the wall clock told her that it was a quarter past ten. She was left repeating the order they'd been given. Why had Lin been so cryptic? She hadn’t been specific. Hesitantly, she grabbed for her coat to begin the walk across town.

*

Muno eyed Lin nervously, having not spoken a word since her arrival. The moon was high in the sky and they were under a bridge under the guise of a meeting. The chill from the water below left her freezing in her boots. She was about to ask why she'd been dragged away from the precinct when a voice answered for her, "Pssst… over here."

She hadn't seen them at first. With only moonlight to guide them, it was nearly impossible to see more than a few feet in front of them. A figure leaned against a pillar nearby. When they approached, Muno was able to see them more clearly, "Listen, I joined the Equalists because I believed in them. But I didn't sign up for this war."

"What do you have on Hiroshi Sato?" Lin asked.

The man made a side glance as if to see if anyone else had followed them, "He manufactured those gloves for the Equalists." Korra interrupted him with a cheer before being wished by Tenzin who waited for the man to continue, "And there are rumors that he's working on something bigger. Some kind of weapon."

Muno remained silent, still trying to get a clear view of the man's face, "We searched all of Future Industries and found nothing," Lin argued.

"That's because he has a secret factory."

"Where?" Muno asked finally.

"Right beneath the Sato mansion."

With that, the man wandered off somewhere into the darkness and soon out of sight. This left the four of them alone again, "Are we going to believe him?" Muno asked. It wasn't a serious question.

"Do you believe him?"

"I don't know what I believe."

They’d filed onto the airship quicker than Muno expected. They were in a state of unease. If the man hadn’t been lying then Cabbage Corp was likely innocent. Framed by Sato. He benefited from helping the Equalists. With Cabbage Corp gone, they were the header in technological advancement. It was cutthroat.

Muno opted to remain inside the ship, not daring to fight the wind chill outside. She shared a sparse conversation with Korra until a large unmistakable mansion came into view. One she'd seen half a dozen times in tabloid magazines.

As they neared the mansion, tensions rose higher than ever, "Raiding the Sato mansion is a risky move. If we're wrong…" Tenzin trailed off, allowing Lin to take in his words.

"I know," she waved him off, " I can kiss my job goodbye. But this is about protecting Republic City."

"We can't let Amon get his hands on this new weapon," Muno said.

When Tenzin and Korra moved to talk elsewhere In the airship, Lin turned her attention to Muno, "You don't have to do this. You have a job back in Ba Sing Se."

"I wouldn't help if I didn't think It was important."

*

The three of them; Lin, Tenzin, and Muno stood outside the Sato mansion seemingly at a pause. Metalbending officers waited from afar, "What happens when we get inside?"

"We find evidence that Hiroshi is tied in with the Equalists," Lin said firmly.

A final glance toward her officers and Lin knocked on the door. Half a beat later, it opened to reveal Hiroshi's daughter, Asami. Her eyes flitted over the three of them before finally landing on Korra, "What are you doing here?" She asked accusingly.

"We have reason to believe there is a factory hidden under the mansion," Lin explained.

"I think I would've noticed if there were a factory underneath our house." Asami opened the door wider with an annoyed expression before allowing them inside, "The lies you people come up with to persecute my father…"

"Where is your father?"

"In his workshop behind the house."

*

Lin nodded to a guard who then bends the metal door open to reveal an empty workshop. Muno was put in a state of unease and confusion as soon as she stepped foot in the building. There was no sign of Hiroshi. A hand traced the walls looking for any deviations.

When Asami entered, she was met with an equally confused expression, "Dad? Hello." She called out.

"I don't like this," Muno said finally. It was too easy.

"Find anything?" Lin asked.

"Unless every day tinkering materials count as something–no," Muno answered. She was on the other side of the workshop now, busying herself with empty oil barrels.

A metalbender–the same one who'd allowed them inside the workshop turned to Lin and Muno, "Chief nobody has left the workshop since we arrived."

For a moment Lin didn't respond. In that moment, she'd scanned the room, finally coming to a single conclusion, "Perhaps we just didn't see him leaving."

What happened next was something Muno had never seen before yet felt so oddly familiar. Akin to her under the full moon with a vial of water. In a dramatic showing of abilities, Lin leaned heavily on one foot, armor receding. Her eyes may have been shut, but she could see everything, "There's a tunnel running deep underground into the mountainside."

"What? There's no tunnel," Asami said. Her expression was one of hurt. It was clear that she hadn't known of this–of her father's secrets. Muno emphasized with her but remained silent as Lin stepped forward, gauging her surroundings once more.

Without warning, Lin forces both hands into the air. The floor in front of her was torn up and thrown across the room. Below it revealed a staircase leading to a small tram. Muno couldn't see the end–it could've gone on for miles.

"Officers, into the tunnel. Be cautious," Lin said. She watched as metalbenders filed down the staircase. Once they dispersed out of sight, she followed them down, leading Tenzin and Korra. Muno gave one final look towards the ground above before taking up the tail end.

The tram that waited for them was something industrial. One of Hiroshi's inventions. It would be a shame if he were an Equalist. His name and company in ruins–all deserved if he were truly working with them.

Muno stepped onto the tram, hands always connected with the metal railing. There was no chance she'd let go until it stopped moving, "You think he's an Equalist?" Muno overheard a conversation between two officers beside her.

"The man has a hidden tram leading to who knows where. I'd say it's likely."

They would have been enveloped in darkness had it not been for tiny lights decorating the side of the tram. If Hiroshi was an Equalist, he hadn't spared any expenses.

As they neared the bottom of the track, the canteen of water at Muno's hip felt ever the heavier. A sense of dread built on top of it all. What was down there?

Despite being the last one to board the team, she was the first one off. Grateful to stand on solid ground again, Muno found one thing to focus on rather than the fact that they were walking into the unknown. She was the first one to see the truth. Amon's large banners hung from the ceiling. That could've been all the proof they needed.

"Not your average backyard workshop," Lin said. The detective glanced toward her with a blank expression. Had that been a joke? Terrible timing.

Korra advanced further than the rest of the group until she stood directly under a large set of machinery. The thing looked dangerous; claw-like-hands and no exposed weaknesses, "And I'm guessing those are the new weapons."

"These can't get into their hands," Muno said to no one in particular. Amon already had the upper hand but with these, she doubted any of them could put a real dent against them in a fight. The Equalists we're truly leveling the playing field.

Lin gave the workshop a once over. Excluding their entourage, it was empty, "Hiroshi was lying alright. But where is he?" She said finally.

As if on cue, large metal walls rose from the ground, trapping them. Muno's eyes snapped toward one of the machines as it powered on. The electrical hiss of machinery was a telltale sign. For only a moment, Muno didn't react. When she did, her reaction was to reach for the small canteen of water she'd strapped to her waist.

To her right, Lin had placed both hands methodically against the ground. To her surprise, nothing happened. Lin glanced up toward the Detective, an uncertain expression. All was finally answered when Hiroshi's voice crackled over a speaker, "I'm afraid you won't be able to and that wall, Chief Beifong, it's made from solid platinum." The head machine neared them, forcing the group back a few paces, "Not even your own mother could bend a metal so pure." He continued.

This got a rise out of Lin. She'd already had a retort ready when Muno tentatively grabbed hold onto the brace of her armor. She didn't speak, opting to send a warning glare. Muno chose not to question the topic of Lin's mother. Instead, she grasped at straws; there was no telling what these machines could do. They needed peace for as long as possible.

Lin's eyes flitted up to meet Muno's. When the detective offered no reaction, she pulled away roughly and said something inaudible under her breath.

Korra put herself between the benders and the machines and said, "I knew you were a no good-lying Equalist. Come out and—"

She was cut off when Hiroshi spoke again through the microphone, "—And what? Face the wrath of your bending? No. I think I'll stay. Fight from inside here where my chances are a little more equal."

"That source was a setup. You lured us down here!" Korra said accusingly.

"Guilty as charged," he said. Through the glass, Muno could see a grin. It was offsetting. The way a predator would look at their prey.

Three of the machines cornered them against the titanium wall. To dodge the wheels of the attackers was enough but to dodge their attacks was harder. A canteen full of water seemed unlikely to make a dent against a single machine, let alone three of them. It would be a defensive fight until they'd get the edge on the Equalists.

Muno uncapped the canteen. One arm followed by the other, she attempted to pull the water from the canteen. Nothing. She'd done it the previous week, why not now? Again, she repeated the process. She knew how to do it, why wasn't it working? In her distracted state, she hadn't noticed a metal cable headed in her direction. It was thwarted when the chief pushed her aside, "Just stay back," Lin snapped through gritted teeth.

The detective did as told, pressing herself up against the wall. She was a dead weight in this fight and it was disappointing. She couldn't actively fight against metal machines. Instead, she watched the chaos forming around her.

Without warning, Lin gave way and turned toward offensive attacks. With a large piece of metal that protruded from her armor, she leapt toward one of the machines. She embedded the sharp piece of metal into the machine, forcing it back from the crowd. Her metalbenders took the opportunity to trap other machines with their cables.

Muno stepped aside to dodge a piece of metal thrown from the fight. It was dug halfway into the wall beside her. The events that happened next were nearly instantaneous. The guards that surrounded her were electrocuted without warning. Electricity flowed through the wires and met them at their armor. In the heat of the battle, she watched as a body flew through the air, hitting the ground with force. She glanced toward the–now upright–machine where Lin was and back at the unmoving form on the floor.

She couldn't fight, but she sure as hell wouldn't let Lin lie out in the open. Muno forced herself away from the wall, narrowly dodging another shard of metal. The machines–three of them–were focused on what Muno could only assume to be Korra and Tenzin. She spared a hopeful glance at the Airbender who returned it with a head nod.

It wasn't until an electric bola grappled itself around her torso that she faltered. Muno crashed down to the ground, arms writhed within the grasp of the ropes. She couldn't free herself. Not when the bolas were constricting her. She stared hopelessly at the chief–who still hadn't moved.

A sudden gust of wind forced her on her side. She turned her gaze toward Tenzin who gazed back with a worried expression. He was barely able to fend off three machines–let alone help Muno out of her restraints. He sent another gust. This time she was blown onto her back. She'd thank him later.

She could breathe again. Muno scrambled across the ground until she found her footing. She carried herself across the ground until she fell to her knees beside Lin. Her heart raced at the sight of the woman lying motionless. She shook the woman rougher than she would've liked and looked for any response. Nothing.

Was she even breathing? A dark worrying thought clouded her mind. She lowered an ear to Lin's mouth, "Please be breathing. Please be breathing," she repeated herself twice, waiting for anything. When she finally did feel a sign that the chief was at least alive, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Her relief was cut short when all conflict across the warehouse ceased. It was now abundantly clear how silent the room was. Tenzin had been knocked out while protecting Korra. She was the only one conscious and entirely incapable of defending herself against the unnatural machinery.

Soon enough, one of the machines began closing in on the two of them. Though still in pain from her previous experience with the bolas–Muno forced herself upright. She stood over Lin, bearing a protective stance. As the machine neared her, she was able to finally see a face. It was Lee.

When the cables grappled around her midsection once more, there was nothing she could do to stop it. When electricity flowed through them, she couldn't act. She was at loss. Muno collapsed. This time she couldn't stop herself from falling into a deep state of unconsciousness.

"It's interesting–what you do to help people. You were no use in this fight and yet you didn't back down. A shame you work with them. Fret not; we will fix that part of you."

*

Muno woke with a start, pushing herself up. She was in her bed. That was the first thing she'd noticed. The second being that the evening sun filtered through the open blinds. The final thing–one that left her mouth agape–Lin sat slouched in the corner of the room, Kuro comfortably in her lap.

Muno leaned back in the bed, remembering the left she found on her desk. She'd missed the caravan. She'd missed the meeting with Shona. That meant many things for her. Above all; a  _ punishment _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't physically express how glad I am to finish this chapter. Definitely, one that I'll be editing but for now it's just gonna exist.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	11. Chapter Eleven: Task Force

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter for today so I feell better about whatever dumpster fire that chapter 10 was. I enjoyed writing this chapter.
> 
> An update as of December 4th: Just a little break. The next chapter will be out on New Years'.

The afternoon sun left the room in a state of relative peace. From the shadow cast by an empty vial that sat alone on the windowsill to the spider in its web; always watching. Once she'd finally collected her bearings and pushed two legs over the side of the bed, Muno turned her attention toward the woman in the chair. 

Lin was slouched over in the only chair Muno owned. A very uncomfortable chair if she may add. Whether she was awake was uncertain. The cat on her lap lazily raised his head to look at Muno and yawned before ignoring her entirely.

_ Why was she here _ ?

After the events the previous night, she wasn't even sure how she'd managed to escape the workshop. Let alone get halfway across town and back to her apartment. Even in her final moments down underground, she'd seen Lin unconscious just as Tenzin and Korra had been. 

"What are you doing here?"

The words came out harsher than she'd meant. For a moment she was sure that Lin hadn't even heard her. She was pleasantly surprised to see the nod of Lin's head from one side to another. Roused from her slumber, Lin rubbed the sleep away. She drew her head up, finally making eye contact with the woman who watched intently from the bed, "You're awake," she said. 

"You are too," Muno returned. When she moved to stand, her footing was unreliable. She faltered. In only a moment, Lin was there to stop her from falling with a hand on her shoulder. It was a wordless exchange, "Thanks," she said, falling back into the bed until she leaned against the wall. 

Without missing a beat, Lin delved into the explanation she knew Muno was waiting for, "Korra's little entourage got us out of there. I took you back here after certain  _ things  _ were dealt with."

_ Things _ . That had caught her attention. Even in the short time she'd known Lin, Muno had come to understand that she didn't hold back from the truth. So why was she now? Rather than question that, Muno honed in on another topic, "You brought me home?"

"Were you expecting me to leave you at the station?"

Muno didn't respond immediately. Instead, she thought over everything that had happened, "Are you okay?" She asked finally.

"I'm fine, Detective."

_ What wasn't Lin telling her _ ?

Before she could ask, three precise knocks at the door forced both of them to exchange unwary glances. The Detective glanced toward the door, unease growing in her chest. Once more, she pushed herself over the ledge of the bed. This time she steadied herself, with the wave of her hand, she discarded Lin's offer of help. Muno leaned into the door as she called out, "Who is it?"

"Tenzin," a familiar voice answered. A wave of relief washed over her and she opened the door, back-peddling a few steps so he could enter, "I see you're awake now. Have you told her?" He'd turned slightly to see Lin standing behind Muno.

"Told me what?" Muno repeated.

"I've resigned from the police force."

Had she heard her correctly? There were few things Muno knew about Lin. At the very least, she knew she'd followed in her mother's footprints. What was she missing, "You what?

"My metalbenders were taken by Equalists. I wasn't able to save them. I resigned," Lin explained. She was to the point and left no room for personal questions, "I'm going to get them back. It's as simple as that."

Muno moved to sit down again, a pain in her side beginning to blossom, "And if someone finds out that you're going around the law?"

"Are you going to tell  _ someone _ ?"

"No."

"Then nobody will find out."

She was silent for half a beat, considering Lin's words. The legality. Had she been under Shona, surely she would've done something about  _ this _ . But she wasn't working under Shona, "You're here for a reason, Tenzin," she said finally.

"Tarrlok wants you present for the induction of the replacement chief," he said. When Muno didn't respond immediately, he continued, "I only caught bits and pieces of the conversation but he wants you to join his task force."

"The same task force Korra was in?" When Tenzin nodded, Muno internally groaned at the action. Her eyes caught on the cat who resurfaced from where he'd hidden when Tenzin arrived. Kuro lept on top of the bed and draped himself over the Detective's lap, "I'm not even officially an officer here," she finished. 

“I'm afraid that might be why he's requesting you. Lin's given you more freedom than a majority of the metalbenders. He must believe you still work under her.”

“Then I do,” Muno said simply. At this, both Tenzin and Lin watched on, dumbfounded and waiting for her to explain, “I'll work under this new chief during my active hours. And work with Lin when I'm no longer needed at the station.”

Once again, the latter two exchange uneasy expressions. What Muno was suggesting was dangerous, “If you get caught you'll get arrested,” Tenzin said.

Before he could continue, Muno waved him off, “Lin would be as well. Besides, getting arrested here Is much better than anything that awaits me in Ba Sing Se,” she added. She caught herself on her finishing statement. She wasn’t even sure what awaited her in the Earth Kingdom. Her gaze fell onto Lin for only a moment. The woman watched her with an intent expression. 

“You're sure?” Lin asked. 

“No. But something about all of  _ this  _ doesn't sit right with me.”

They talked for a short while longer before Tenzin departed to prepare his family to attend the ceremony. He said something about getting three children and his pregnant wife off of the island and the process around it. Muno offered to help but was shrugged off when he told her it would be best if she prepared herself. This left Muno and Lin alone once again. Soon after, Lin excused herself, saying they’d talk again later in the day. 

Rather than let the thoughts of Shona cloud her thoughts, she dressed and went on with her morning as she normally would. A few deviations to her schedule were made; changing and dressing the still-healing-wound on her chest, slipping the empty vial of water into her pocket —the next full moon was nearing, and finally, she ate breakfast. 

*

The gathering was larger than any other she'd seen in Republic City. A crowd of people–civilians and officers alike–stretched through the entirety of the town square. Muno was unable to see the end. Even with a jacket, the chill in the air was enough to keep her wishing for the warmth of a fire.

Behind a wooden stand stood a stout man. Shorter than Muno and balding. In his late forties, she assumed. He was the new chief. Formally officer Saikhan, he basked in the attention of his new title. That much was clear. 

She spotted Tenzin and Korra nearing the stage almost immediately. They appeared to have done the same, sharing expressions of discomfort. She'd spoken only a few words to the council members as they filed onto the stage–Tenzin, in particular, had positioned himself next to Muno with Korra beside him. 

"How do you think this will end?" She'd spoken to nobody in particular. How would it end? Whatever Saikhan was going to say would determine Republic City's future. 

Before either of them could answer, Saikhan began his speech, "It was an honor serving under Chief Beifong for so many years." He leaned into the podium and continued, "And I wish her a speedy recovery. It is with humility that I take her place as chief of police."

Saikhan picked up the microphone with one hand, opting to hold it rather than lean down as he got deeper into his speech, "Republic City is facing a threat like none the world has ever seen. But there is one man who has been effective against Amon's Revolution," he finished, "Councilman Tarrlok."

"That is why in all matters involving Equalists, I will report to him." Mumo groaned internally at the man's words. Tarrlok had been the reason the officers had been divided between the station and his task force, "The police department will lend all available resources to him and his task force until we quell this insurgency.

"I would also like to take the time to formally recognize Detective Muno as an asset to the Republic City Police." At the mention of her name, Muno gazed up to meet Saikhan who had made a wide gesture toward her, "While Chief Beifong may have allowed a loose leash on our detectives, I will be working closely with Councilman Tarrlok to transfer the Detective into his task force."

For a moment Muno held no real response. She couldn't say anything publically. Nor could she denounce the idea privately either. The idea of returning to Ba Sing Se now was outlandish. Not until the Equalists were dealt with. She glanced up to see Tenzin watching on with a worried expression. 

The rest of his speech was blurred. To work directly under Tarrlok rather than Tenzin or Lin. That wasn't right. It hadn't been what she agreed to when she'd first transferred. For the final duration, she'd watched the birds as they flew high in the sky. To be anywhere that wasn't the stage. 

Her wish was partly answered when Saikhan waved her over, "Chief Saikhan," Muno greeted. 

"Detective Muno, I don't believe we've held a conversation until now," he said.

Muno could think of at least half a dozen officers more deserving of the title of chief. All of which likely had their bending taken away by now, "I've been busy," she said shortly. 

"Likewise. I'm sure we'll work closer under Councilman Tarrlok." 

Something about his face just pissed her off. 

Mumo gave a hum of approval before delving into the mess of words she'd been waiting to say, "Why am I being transferred to work under Tarrlok?"

"Councilman Tarrlok has personally requested you for his task force," Saikhan explained.

"Like Tenzin personally requested for me to work under the Republic City Police and not the task force?" She wasn't sure where her sudden stance had come from. All the anger and disappointment finally coming to a boil. When Saikhan didn't respond, Muno repeated the question with my emphasis, "It's a simple question, Chief Saikhan. Why am I being transferred to work under Tarrlok?"

"You are excused for the rest of the day."

That was that. He turned to talk with Tarrlok who was nearby and left Muno to gather her bearings. Next came Tenzin and Korra who'd watched Muno and Saikhan intently, "That could've gone better," Korra mumbled. 

"Much better," Muno agreed. She moved to lean against one of the stage supports, "Where's Lin?"

"At home. Still recovering from the workshop."

She nodded, taking in the information. Why did she care where Lin was? She was an adult, not a child. Opting not to dwell on those questions, she instead came onto an outlandish idea. 

"Tenzin, would it be alright if I spent a few days on Air Temple Island? I wouldn't want to intrude but your father was known for certain spiritual attachments and–"

Before she could finish, Tenzin silenced her with the wave of his hand, "You needn't ask. Whatever reasons you may have, I'll have a room prepared for you this afternoon."

When Tenzin took his leave to talk with members of the council, Korra took the opportunity to converse with the detective, "So you're coming to Air Temple Island?" She asked, a ghost of a smile hinting ever so slightly, "Might have to warn you–don't trust Meelo."

Muno laughed at Korra's attempt to lighten the mood before becoming stoic as ever, "I'd like to meditate. Or try at least. What I did on that roof–I haven't been able to do something like that in years." She glanced down at her hands–the hands of a bender who couldn't bend, "I hold no absolute connection to my bending unless it's the full moon," she finished, "I suppose I just want to try."

"I could teach you," Korra had said almost immediately before shaking her head as if to start over, "Not that you need a teacher but I relate to you more than you think." Muno waited for her to continue, "I'm supposed to be the one who bends all four elements and stops Amon. I can't even airbend. Let alone stop the Equalists."

It was hard to find a real response. What Korra had told her was personal. She had no real reason to tell Muno any of her problems. Yet she did without a second thought, "Maybe you don't have to do it alone," Muno said finally. She watched as Korra waited for an explanation, glancing at the area around them–a large portion of the crowd had left, "You have your friends and Tenzin. Hell, even Lin and I. Whatever happens, you know we'll follow."

"You're only human."


End file.
